WHO Needs To Reform To Uphold Mandate Of ‘Directing And Coordinating Authority’ On Global Health

JAMA: Reforming the World Health Organization After Ebola
Lawrence Gostin of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center

“…In January, the WHO Executive Board proposed major reforms, which the World Health Assembly will consider in May. The outcome of the reform movement could affect the WHO’s status and credibility for a generation. Here are 5 reforms I propose needed to uphold the WHO’s constitutional mandate as ‘the directing and coordinating authority on international health work.’ 1. Ensure sustainable funding … 2. Reform the WHO’s regional structure by empowering WHO’s director-general to appoint regional directors … 3. Improve WHO governance by empowering stakeholders to harness the creativity of civil society … 4. Exert WHO’s constitutional authority by setting an ambitious agenda of health treaties and voluntary codes … 5. Build health system capacities to help prevent the next global health emergency…” (4/14).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

KFF Headquarters: 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Phone 650-854-9400
Washington Offices and Barbara Jordan Conference Center: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Phone 202-347-5270

www.kff.org | Email Alerts: kff.org/email | facebook.com/KFF | twitter.com/kff

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.