The history of the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO)

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• The history in general of the United Nations
• The history of global health and nutrition

World Health Organization in a squeeze

IPS, 26 January 1999. The new WHO strategy rests on the premise of universal critical survival problems, while development programs overlook the countries of the South. The health sector is being forced to fight the consequences of measures adopted in other areas of society.

How the World Trade Organisation is shaping domestic policies in health care

By David Price, Allyson M. Pollock, and Jean Shaoul, The Lancet, 27 November 1999 (abstract). The WTO aims at the privatisation of health services and with the backing of powerful medico-pharmaceutical, insurance, and service corporations, to capture the share of gross domestic product that governments currently spend on public services.

Rich Countries Sceptical of Global Fund

UN Integrated Regional Information Network, 19 May 2001. The world's wealthy nations are allegedly holding off donations to a proposed UN global health fund, arguing there are not enough guarantees that the money would be spent correctly. Annan said that the proposed “war chest” to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria would be a major tool for economic growth in the developing world.

Health for all or riches for some: WHO’s responsible?

By Jean-Loup Motchane, Le Monde diplomatique, July 2002. Since 1998, the WHO has partnered with the private sector and the World Bank, IMF and WTO to obtain financing. However, the policy that the WHO should submit to the dictates of Washington and global liberalisation while seeking charity from the large institutions turns out to be ideological, not practical.