![A medical worker examines a girl's head. On the left side, an x-ray image of a thorax is seen.](/sites/default/files/styles/un_section_hero/public/2023-02/health.jpg?itok=6cjMCjbi)
面包屑
Research and classification
WHO’s science experts set the global agenda on health-related research. They identify knowledge gaps and emerging areas of concern. WHO collects and combines findings, giving access to life-saving information to governments and medical practitioners around the world. Since its creation, the organization identifies and classifies diseases – a starting point for all research activities, making it possible to gather statistical data on certain health conditions. This knowledge enables WHO to give recommendations about prevention and treatment of diseases.
In addition, the UN funds medical research to enhance knowledge and find solutions to combatting diseases. The “Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases” (based in Geneva) is one such example. It largely concentrates on diseases related to poverty. Through the programme, the UN sponsors research activities and helps find effective solutions, e.g., to break infection chains in affected countries.
Controlling disease outbreaks
The UN has had some remarkable successes in fighting infectious diseases which no country could have achieved on its own. WHO and UNICEF together supply vaccines to 45% of the world’s children, saving three million lives every year. Through its unmatched vaccination campaigns, the UN has eradicated, or is on the verge of eliminating, several diseases: Smallpox have been eradicated in 1979 while polio, although still existing, has been reduced by 99%.
The UN system responds to emerging diseases or elevated infection rates. In 1996, UNAIDS was founded as a reaction to the ravaging HIV pandemic. The organization works on reducing the number of new infections through awareness campaigns. It lobbies for global access to treatment and for further research to improve prevention and treatment options, and even a possible cure. Lastly, UNAIDS campaigns to end stigmatization of people living with HIV or AIDS.
In 2014, the UN deployed its first ever emergency health mission: Medical and technical staff from different UN entities travelled to West Africa in response to the deadly Ebola outbreak – a resource-intense, fast, flexible and cross-entity approach that helped contain the highly infectious disease.
Through its global network, WHO monitors the spread of diseases and alerts States of increased viral or bacterial spreading. For example, WHO declared the coronavirus disease a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020 and a pandemic in March 2020. This warning mechanism prompts governments to release financial and technical resources to counter the outbreak. In such a situation, WHO also issues health care advisories for governments and citizens.
![A health worker injects a patient in an outdoor setting. A group of people is sitting at a long table behind the two.](/sites/default/files/styles/full_column_width/public/2023-02/WHO_20210226_GUINEA_EBOLA_9777.jpg?itok=UL0H9onJ)
Government support
Universal healthcare
Currently, at least half of the world’s population does not have access to the health services they need. The UN supports governments in multiple ways to enable them to deliver better services to their citizens. In most countries, universal health coverage, that is access to and a financing system for health services for everyone, is a goal yet to be achieved. The UN assists countries which are moving to a public health care system. WHO trains civil servants in how to finance universal health coverage and assists governments in developing the necessary policies. UN entities also help determine the health care needs in each country and advise on medical equipment and supplies.
Equal access to life-saving medicine
The UN lobbies for equal access to medical care across the globe. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN urged industrial countries to donate vaccines to other states. WHO coordinated the distribution and UNICEF played a major role in the delivery of vaccines.
By May 2022, more than 11 billion vaccine doses had been given to people across the world, over 1.5 billion of which were shipped through COVAX, the UN’s COVID vaccination campaign.
![2 health care workers pack COVID-19 vaccines.](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-02/COVAX.jpg?itok=AcVZ4HL7)
Emergency response
Emergencies, may they be natural disasters or outbreaks of conflicts and wars, bring about injuries and maladies, and stress a national health care system. Two things come together: hospitals and clinics may have been destroyed or are no longer accessible while the need for health care skyrockets. The UN’s emergency response system starts rolling upon the invitation of a country in need. WHO leads the health cluster which coordinates UN agencies and NGOs to assess the medical needs and provide health care.
Good health and wellbeing
The UN firmly believes that health means much more than the absence of sickness. It is rather defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”. Many, if not all UN entities, help work towards this state of holistic health.
UN-Habitat and the UN Environment Programme cooperate to achieve better living for people in green cities, with less air pollution, clean water supplies, waste management and access to natural spaces. The International Labour Organization, headquartered in Geneva, enforces workers’ rights, for example the right to leisure and recuperation, or the right to operate in a safe work environment.
While UNFPA works on sexual and reproductive health, UNICEF is dedicated to the wellbeing of children and their parents. The organization’s impact reaches from maternity wards, where UNICEF supplies midwifery kits and distinguishes baby friendly hospitals that enable breastfeeding from day one, to nutritional programmes for malnourished children, or protection systems for children in danger of physical or mental abuse.
UNHCR, the UN’s refugee organization, takes care of all needs of people who fled their home, including their medical and psychosocial care. FAO, UNDP and WFP work on healthy food supplies, helping to set up sustainable farming techniques or advising on healthy nutritional habits in different corners of the world.
![5 women sit outside and prepare food.](/sites/default/files/styles/max_width/public/2023-03/Healty%20living.jpg?itok=oh3y7Msg)
Organizations working on health issues
作为可持续发展目标的一部分,联合国艾滋病规划署正在领导全球努力,到 2030 年消除艾滋病这一公共卫生威胁。
自 35 多年前报告第一例艾滋病毒病例以来,已有 7800 万人感染了艾滋病毒,3500 万人死于与艾滋病相关的疾病。自 1996 年开始运作以来,联合国艾滋病规划署领导并激发了全球、区域、国家和地方的领导力、创新和伙伴关系,最终使艾滋病毒成为历史。
联合国艾滋病规划署是一个问题解决者。它将艾滋病毒感染者和受病毒影响的人置于决策桌上,并置于设计、实施和监测艾滋病应对措施的中心。它为各国和社区走上结束艾滋病的快速通道指明了道路,并且大胆倡导消除艾滋病应对的法律和政策障碍。
联合国艾滋病规划署提 [...]
联合国开发计划署是致力于结束贫困、不平等和气候变化的不公正现象的领先联合国组织。该机构与 170 个国家/地区的广泛专家和合作伙伴网络合作,帮助各国为人类和地球构建综合、持久的解决方案。
UNDP 日内瓦办事处是 UNDP 日内瓦和总部设在日内瓦的组织的平台,也是与法国和瑞士政府的主要联络点。自 2014 年 10 月以来,联合国开发计划署日内瓦办事处作为综合伙伴关系办公室,跨方案和代表职能开展工作。它确定、建立和发展开发署的机构能力,以加强广泛合作伙伴之间的战略伙伴关系,主要是与方案国和捐助国、联合国系统、非政府组织和民间社会组织、私营部门、政府间组织、国际金融机构、区域银行 [...]
联合国欧洲经济委员会 (UNECE) 由 ECOSOC 于 1947 年成立。它是联合国五个区域委员会之一。其主要目标是促进泛欧经济一体化。
联合国毒品和犯罪问题办公室 (UNODC) 的使命是让世界更加安全,远离毒品、有组织犯罪、腐败和恐怖主义。本组织致力于通过应对这些威胁并促进和平与可持续福祉来遏制这些威胁,从而实现人人享有健康、安全和正义。
毒品和犯罪问题办公室在日内瓦的联络官促进了毒品和犯罪问题办公室与世界卫生组织合作,努力制定全面、整体和综合的减少毒品需求的方法。
UNRISD 是联合国系统内的一个自治研究机构,对当代发展问题的社会层面进行跨学科研究和政策分析。 UNRISD 与来自发达国家和发展中国家的学术、政策、从业者和活动家社区的广泛合作伙伴网络合作,旨在将社会公平、包容和正义置于发展思想、政策和实践的中心。