Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública
Print version ISSN 1020-4989
La Organización Mundial de la Salud cumple 50 años. Rev Panam Salud Publica [online]. 1998, vol.4, n.4 ISSN 1020-4989. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1020-49891998001000018.
In celebration of the World Health Organization's 50th anniversary, this article features WHO's contribution to the world by examining its current activities in the areas of health, human rights, and development. It briefly summarizes events leading to its establishment over the period from 1851 to 1948, which marks the year when WHO assumed its role as a specialized body of the United Nations. Quoting from various articles in WHO's Constitution, it illustrates the principles that prompt its actions and that have led nations to become aware of their potential goals, thus steering them toward a brighter future. A brief overview of the last 20 years ends with the introduction of WHO's new Director General, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland.