course material

1. International Health Organizations
International Health OrganizationsInternational health or global health is a field that deals
with health care across national or regional boundaries. It usually places more emphasis on
public health. There are various organizations that deal with international health among
them United Nations, World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization, United
States Agency for International Development and US Department of Global Health Council.
Most of the organizations that deal with global health are usually non-governmental
organizations providing health sector development or direct health care in different
nations. In this paper, I will attempt to look at the roles of the above named organizations in
dealing with Global Health.2.0 Discussion2.1 World Health OrganizationWHO has various
core functions that account for its roles. One of the roles is that it assesses the health trends
while monitoring the health situation globally. In addition, it provides leadership on critical
matters pertaining to health and also partners with other organizations in cases where joint
action is required (World Health Organization, n.d.). It also sets standards and norms in
global health while also monitoring and promoting their implementation, shapes the agenda
of research stimulating the generation, dissemination and translation of essential
knowledge, promotes evidence-based policies and lastly catalyses change providing
technical support together with ensuring that institutions with sustainable capacity have
been built. These roles ensure that WHO promotes development, fosters health care,
strengthens health systems, enhances partnership, improves performance and harnesses
evidence, information and research.2.2 United NationsThe United Nations through
partnerships and alliances is able to reach out to millions of people who need health
services. One of the partnerships is the Children’ s health program that provides support in
malaria and measles prevention and control and the eradication of polio (Markle, W., Fisher,
M., and Smego, R. n.da). The World Health Organization is also an organ under the UN that
deals with global health. The UN Millennium development Goals have also been critical in
trying to stop the spread of HIV (World Federation of Public Health Associations, n.d). There
are also other ways that the United Nations helps in creating a difference by promoting
maternal and reproductive health, wiping out polio, responding to HIV/AIDS, eradicating
smallpox, pressing for universal immunization, reducing child mortality, protecting
consumer’ s health and halting the spread of epidemics (United Nations, n.d.).2.3 Pan
American Health OrganizationPan American Health Organization is one of the oldest public
health organizations being in operation for over 100 years. Its main aim has always been to
improve the living standards and health of the people of America. PAHO is involved in

2. promoting strategies that deal with primary health care with the aim of extending health
services to all the people who need these services (Pan American Health Organization, n.d.).
It also assists nations to fight with old diseases that may re-emerge. Some of these diseases
are such as dengue, cholera and tuberculosis and also some new diseases such as the AIDS
epidemic. The assistance given is in form of technical support which include social
communication and education and support for other programs for the prevention of the
transmission of communicable diseases. PAHO targets mainly the most vulnerable groups
such as the children and mothers, the elderly, the poor, the workers, displaced persons and
the refugees. PAHO is also tries to improve the safety of blood in America. PAHO mobilizes
institutional, financial, and political resources to help cut the infant mortality by preventing
about 25,000 deaths a year through application of a strategy that deals with Integrated
Management of Childhood Illness. PAHO is also dedicated in the promotion of adequate
sanitation, improvement of water supplies for drinking water and increased health care
access for the poor emphasizing on equity.2.4 United States Agency for International
DevelopmentUnited States agency for International Development is an agency that is
involved with helping people overseas who are struggling to have a better life. It uses a
small amount of the federal budget, about half of one percent of the budget, to provide
humanitarian assistance in case of man-made or natural disasters, improving global health,
education, environmental sustainability and food security, strengthening good governance
and democracy and helping societies to recover from conflicts (USAID, n.d.). USAID is
committed to preventing suffering by saving lives in the end creating a brighter future for
families in developing nations. USAID aims at improving global health including maternal,
reproductive and child health, reducing disease and abortion especially diseases such as
tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria Markle, W., Fisher, M., and Smego, R. n.db). This is done
by promoting field health programs to advance innovation and research in areas relevant to
the agency’ s objectives. The main areas of health that it deals with are family planning,
environmental health, health systems, HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases and child and maternal
health (USAID, n.d.).2.5 US Department of Global HealthThe United States Department of
Global Health is the main agency involved in the protection of the health of the American
people. It provides important human services for those who are able to help themselves. In
co-ordination with other organizations, it combats communicable diseases such as
influenza, polio, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (US Department of Global Health, n.d).
In addition, it also helps with the fight against non-communicable diseases. Some of the risk
factors that bring about such disease are unhealthy diet, tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol
and lack of exercise and the agency helps in educating the masses on the effects caused by
these risk factors. It collaborates with other agencies to increase awareness about the
health of refugees. The agency also deals with child and maternal health education. The
agency also deals with the research on global water supply and safety of such water. Since
many of the diseases are waterborne, ensuring that there is safe water would eradicate
most of the diseases.2.6 Global Health CouncilThe global health council has various
initiatives that it uses in dealing with global health. These initiatives are such as the NCD
initiative, the MNHCR initiative, and the HIV & Malaria initiative. The Global HIV/AIDS and
Malaria initiative aims at promoting effective policy and sustained funding. It also stresses

3. on the translation of evidence into sound policy by linking policy, research, and practice.
The Maternal, Newborn, Child and Reproductive Health Initiative informs the U.S congress
and administration on the advancement of MNHCR interventions and its linkages with other
health sectors, commitments and investments, translating evidence into sound policy and
also informing stakeholders, the global health community and the general public the
importance of MNHCR. The Non-communicable and Chronic Diseases Initiative develops
strategies to incorporate NCDs into the global health agenda advancing the communications
and policy agenda. The initiative also examines the impact of NCDs in the community taking
into consideration other health challenges. It also incorporates the voices of stakeholders
and community leaders into the global dialogue helping them understand how the NCDs can
relate to other development and health issues (Global Health Council, n.d.).3.0 SummaryAll
these organizations are involved in fighting the major global public health threats and
problems. These problems and threats include infectious diseases such as malaria,
tuberculosis, childhood diarrhea, childhood acute respiratory infections and new emerging
infectious diseases, transition diseases, world hunger, refugee and displaced populations,
maternal mortality, motor vehicle injuries and mortality, safety in the workplace, social and
environmental determinants of public health and landmines. There are several milestones
that have been achieved in the 20th century such as immunizations, pasteurization, control
of infectious diseases, maternal child interventions, fluoridation of drinking water, family
planning, safer and healthier foods.4.0 RecommendationsThere is more that still remains to
be done on global health. The most effective way to deal with most of these issues would be
for the organizations to partner or collaborate with each other in order to reach more
people. The organizations should also increase the economic resources to dealing with
health problems in the developing nations together with recruiting some of the people from
these developing nations as they are better placed to understand the plight of their own
people.5.0 Reference ListGlobal Health Council. What We Do. Accessed 3rd January 2011
from: http://www.globalhealth.org/Markle, W., Fisher, M., and Smego, R. n.d a.
Understanding Global Health Chapter 1. Accessed 3rd January 2011 from:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47566859/Understanding%20Global%20Health%20Chapter%2
01.pdfMarkle, W., Fisher, M., and Smego, R. n.d b. Understanding Global Health Chapter 14:
Accessed 3rd January 2011 from:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47566859/Understanding%20Global%20Health%20Chapter%2
014.pdfPan American Health Organization. About PAHO. Accessed 3rd January 2011 from:
http://www.paho.org/United Nations. UN at a Glance. Accessed 3rd January 2011 from:
http://www.un.org/english/United States Agency for International Development. About
USAID. Accessed 3rd January 2011 from: http://www.usaid.gov/US Department of Global
Health. About us. Accessed 3rd January 2011 from: http://www.globalhealth.gov/World
Federation of Public Health Associations. About us. Accessed 3rd January 2011 from:
http://www.wfpha.org/World Health Organization. About WHO. Accessed 3rd January
2011 from: http://www.who.int/en/