Research Paper on Structure of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Introduction

WHO has its own unique triangular like organization structure that is composed of seniors at the top-most level and juniors at the bottom level. At the apex of the structure is the World Health Assembly where WHO members are represented. The role of the World Health assembly is to supervise financial policies, review and approve the proposed programme budget. Besides, the assembly receives the reports from the Executive Board and performs further investigation study and action as necessary. As the supreme body, the World Health Assembly makes the decision that governs the entire organization. The director general heads the assembly. The Director-General leads to each programme.

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From the World Health Assembly is the Executive Board that comprises of 34 members heading different programs based on their field of qualifications in health. Members of the Executive Board serve for three years after which election is held. Additionally, the work of the Executive Board is to make the decisions and come up with policies that govern the World Health Assembly, In addition, the board offers advice to the assembly and facilitate its effective and efficient working conditions. The two bodies comprising the top management of the organization is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

In addition to the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board, WHO has offices situated in 150 countries from where it serves its people. The administrative offices in these countries are occupied by WHO staff who are medical doctors and epidemiologists, scientists and specialists in the field of public health. The WHO staff in various offices are well trained and have become experts in emergency reliefs, economics and health statistics in addition to other skills in handling finances, administrative roles and information systems.

Functions/Roles of WHO

According to WHO (2019), World Health Organization performs six functions to achieve its objectives. The first function is to provide leadership where joint action is required in dealing with critical matters to health. Under this function, the WHO also partners with other organizations to carry out a collective action in a bid to achieve the anticipated role.

The second function performed by WHO is conducting research to establish the cause and the reason for various recurrent and most prevalent problems faced by the general population. WHO (2019) asserts that the organization fulfills its research role by stimulating the generation, translation, and dissemination of valuable knowledge. In this way, the organization facilitates and shapes the research agenda worldwide.

The third function of WHO is to set standards and norm on which organizations should operate. After setting the norms and standards, the organization further promotes and monitors the implementation of such norms and standards. In many matters involving the health of individuals, WHO comes up with norms and rules that govern the behavior of people. Hence it ensures that they live in the right health conditions at all time. The organization recognizes that it is not enough to set, and this is the reason, it ensures the implementation of norms and standards they develop.

Fourthly, WHO develops the ethical and evidence-based policy options that should be adhered to n various professionals such as public health and in medicine, in this regard, the organization ensures that professionals adhere to ethical practices and evidence-based policies.

The fifth function of WHO is to provide the technical support needed to build a sustainable institutional capacity. Additionally, the organization offers catalyzing change and ensures that sustainable institutional capacity is built (WHO, 2019).

Lastly, WHO plays a critical role in areas faced with severe health conditions, in such areas, the organization assesses and monitors the health trends and health situations respectively. All the above functions and any other are set during the Twelfth General Programme of Work (WHO, 2019).

Functions in relation to social work? Why?

The role of social workers is to ensure that the daily lives of the less fortunate, vulnerable and less advantaged in the society are safeguarded. Generally, social work entails efforts that are geared towards improving the outcomes of the lives of people. In this regard, the most suitable function of WHO that relates to the social work is the function number one which entails the provision of leadership on critical issues affecting the health of individuals as well as partnering with other institutions through joint action to provide needed helps. The health of people affects many livelihoods, and when it is weak, people's life is changed dramatically. Through the provision of leadership, WHO disseminates knowledge and information to people hence assisting them in overcoming some of the critical challenges they face on health. Additionally, partnering with other organizations creates a pool of resources and strength that allows a greater reach to a wide group of people. This collective workforce helps in eliminating, reducing and overcoming the health challenges that people face hence allowing a proper integration of their role to the functions of the millennium development goals. This function offers a pleasant encounter with the people in need and, therefore, matches perfectly with the role that the social work entails. The function allows the organization to experience the suffering people undergo and hence use the best methods to address their problems.

Secondly, the six functions which involve assessment and monitoring of the health records and the health situation also relates to social work. The function allows the organization to gain the idea and framework of the situation and the challenges that affect the people on the ground. Hence, it integrates perfectly with the functions that social work plays in alienating poverty and improving the health status of the vulnerable population.

If you can have a position in the organization, what type of position do you want? Explain about the position and why?

An encounter with a vulnerable population provides the best opportunity to assist those in need. Hence, engaging with people is one of the best ways to offer them solutions to their problems. The vulnerable and the marginalized populations suffer significantly for lack of people to assist. In this regard, I would like to be engaged in a position that interacts with people and gets in contact with them. On this basis, the position of the social worker in the organization would be the most suitable for me. A social work position allows one to interact and engage with the people on the ground hence able to get the real problems that they experience. Engaging and interacting with people gives an opportunity to get in touch with reality and this allows one to develop the best measures and strategies to deploy to address the experienced problems.

A social work position involves dealing with the individuals and the families of the people who live in difficult times and are highly vulnerable. It is a position that consists of safeguarding vulnerable people from harm and helping them improve their life outcomes. Significantly, the social work position is greatly concerned about the health status of the people and how it can be developed. Drawn by this urge to help the vulnerable population who live in considerably challenging health status, I would work as a social worker to offer the best solution to the people.

The client population served by the position. What type of services can the client population receive?

The social work position would serve the population that is vulnerable to ill health, and that is poverty stricken such that their health and lives are highly compromised. Vulnerable population covers the families and individuals at old age and children at the most significant risks of danger. Such a population is not only confined at homes but also in schools, public sector, hospitals, and voluntary organizations. To offer assistance to such groups of people, the social workers partner with other good wishers and responsible organizations to provide charity work. The social work position requires one to work as a specialist but be accountable in providing needed support to people who are homeless or suffering from mental health. This is a challenging role that only the strong survives.

Through the social work position, clients receive a plethora of services. First, social workers are specialists, so they offer services that relate to their professions. If it is a nurse, he/.she will offer nursing services while a counselor will offer counseling services. Hence, one of the services the social work position involves is profession based services. Secondly, the social work position is a diverse position that requires dealing with all sought of problems such as a problem with abuse, issues with food and clothing among others. Hence, social workers provide services that are needed by clients.

References

Ruger, J. P., & Yach, D. (2009). The Global Role of the World Health Organization. Global Health Governance: The Scholarly Journal for the New Health Security Paradigm, 2(2), 1-11.

Structure - The World Health Organization (WHO) - World Health Assembly, Executive Board. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/United-Nations-Related-Agencies/The-World-Health-Organization-WHO-STRUCTURE.htmlWHO. (2019). The role of WHO in public health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/about/role/en/