The World Health Organization (WHO) is the body within the United Nations (UN) that is concerned with international public health. It was established through a Constitution signed on 7 April 1948, and it is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

The World Health Assembly is the supreme decision-making body for WHO. It generally meets in Geneva in May each year, and is attended by delegations from all 194 Member States. Its main function is to determine the policies of the Organization.

The Executive Board is composed of 34 members technically qualified in the field of health. Members are elected for three-year terms. The main functions of the Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work.

Colombia’s relation with WHO

Colombia is part of the WHO since May 14, 1959. The main priorities of Colombia in the WHO are:

• Ensuring access to quality medicines, especially, essential drugs and biotherapeutic products.
• Strengthening drug policy issues related to shortages of essential drugs; rational use of medicines; price regulation and assessment of health technologies as priorities for ensuring universal health coverage.
• Global and regional cooperation for research and development in health, particularly in neglected diseases.
• Governance and financial sustainability for achieving the objectives and priorities within the framework of the WHO reform.

Statements of Colombia

• PDF: Statement of Colombia at the World Health Assembly 20/05/2014
• PDF: Statement of the region of the Americas at the Cross-regional Consultation on unequal access to health services 26/08/2014
• PDF: Statement of Colombia at the launch of the WHO Guidelines on the Community Management of Opioid Overdose 05.11.2014
• PDF: Statement on behalf of the Americas at the Executive Board Special Session on Ebola 25/01/2015
• PDF: Statement of the region of the Americas at the WHA68 18/05/2015