Health Organizations

Health is a major concern among governments and citizens around the world. Every country has its own focus policies on health, which help them improve the health sector of the country. A healthy population signifies a good lifestyle and a growing nation. Around the world, we have seen many global plans and organizations aiming towards the improvement of health. With the ongoing pandemic, the world has joined hands to fight against this evil together.

There are organizations working for the same cause. Further, we will read about few such organizations that were established and are striving to work towards better global health. The two most important international bodies concerned with people’s health are:

1. Red Cross
2. World Health Organization

RED CROSS

The Red Cross is a national as well as an international agency. The main function of the Red Cross Society is to perform activities that should prevent or remove human sufferings in peacetime as well as at the time of war. It was formally founded in 1864. The emblem of the Red Cross Society is a red-colored cross painted on a white background. People belonging to the Red Cross can go to battlefields and take care of the wounded soldiers whether friends or enemies. Major activities of Red Cross Societies are as follows:

1. To extend relief and help to the victims of any calamity – flood, fire, famine, earthquakes, etc.
2. To procure and supply blood for the needy victims of war or other calamities.
3. To extend all possible first-aid in an accident.
4. To educate people on accident prevention.
5. To arrange for ambulance service in all emergencies.
6. To look after maternal and child welfare centers.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

The World Health Organization (WHO) established in 1948, is a specialized agency of the United Nations Organizations (UNO). Member countries of the UNO focused on the need for creating an international body to look after the health problems of people around the world. This was particularly felt in the field of research on the causes and cures of diseases. The combined efforts in this direction were to give better and faster results. The poor and developing countries were to benefit quickly. The World Health Organization has six regional offices in the world. Each regional office works for its member countries. The headquarters of the WHO are located in Geneva. Member states of WHO is bound by the International Sanitary Regulations to send in all relevant information about the internationally notifiable diseases. Malaria and small-pox are two such notifiable diseases.

The main activities of the WHO are as follows:

1. To collect and supply information about the occurrence of diseases of epidemic nature (such as cholera, plague, typhoid, yellow fever, small-pox, etc.)
2. To promote and support projects for research on diseases.
3. To supply information on the latest developments about the use of vaccines, cancer research, nutritional discoveries, control of drug addiction, and about health hazards of nuclear radiation.
4. To suggest quarantine measures (isolation of patients) to prevent the spread of disease to others.
5. To lay pharmaceutical standards for important drugs, to ensure purity and size of the dose.
6. To organize campaigns for the control of epidemic (widespread) and endemic (local) diseases.

MOTHERS 2 MOTHERS

It is an non-profitable international organization dedicated to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV by providing education and support for pregnant women and new mothers living with HIV. It was founded in 2001 by Dr. Mitesh Beaser, Gene Falk Robin, Allison Smalley, Frank Beadle de Palomo. The main focus of the organization is the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION 

It is an international public health agency working to improve health and living standards of the people of the America. It is a part of U.N. systems, it is known in Latin America as the OPS and OPAS. It works with countries throughout the region to improve and protect people’s health. It was founded in December 2, 1902. The parent organizations are World Health Organizations and Organizations of American States.

Apart from these, there are several other organizations doing a commendable work worldwide in the field of healthcare to make the conditions better at a global scale. Some of them are listed below:

1. Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition (GAIN) – SINCE 2002
2. Health Leads
3. Medic Mobile
4. African Medical and Research Foundation – AMREF
5. D-Tree International
6. Global Viral
7. Vision Spring
8. International Medical Corps
9. PATH
10. Village Beach
11. Partners in Health
12. Mercy Ships
13. Basic Needs
14. Marie Stopes International

There are several other governmental and non-governmental organizations who work selflessly to make healthcare accessible around the world with their innovative ideas. Taking the initiative to make a change is very important. Every task is once a plan, and every plan is once a dream.

As individuals, if we wish to make contributions for the betterment of health, and we want to make sure that our contribution reaches the right people in need, we can help people through these organizations financially or voluntarily. Health organizations play a crucial role in making this sector and its services better. Apart from the government and private hospitals, every country is largely benefitted by the deeds of such organizations, who strive selflessly to make things better, to give people a better life to live, and to ensure that their existence on Earth is beneficial for its citizens.

Sources: Wikipedia, WHO