The World Health Organization (WHO), founded in 1948, is the principal directing and coordinating authority within the UN system on international health work. It is mandated to prevent and eradicate epidemics and to improve the nutritional, sanitary, hygienic and environmental conditions of people around the world.
In 1997 UNHCR and WHO agreed on a series of shared objectives relating to refugees, returnees and, where appropriate, internally displaced persons, including:
- reducing the mortality, disease, and disability rates among refugees
- providing refugees with adequate, timely, and cost-effective health services
- coordinating health and nutritional policies to achieve globally accepted standards
- helping returnees to reintegrate into their local communities.
Both UN agencies also agreed to anticipate and address the health needs of refugees both at national and international levels by working closely with non-governmental organizations and other groups.
WHO also sends doctors and other health professionals to UNHCR operations and supports the refugee agency, governments, and other institutions in the coordination of humanitarian health programmes.
