International Health Agencies
Rapid means of travel from one part of the world to
another has brought special recognition to the need for
international health agencies. Contagion does not
recognize national boundaries, and since certain less
frequently encountered diseases, such as plague and
yellow fever, exist at all times in some place in the
world, there must be international concern for health
and agencies that are prepared to cooperate in the
eradication and control of disease.
The oldest international health agency is the Pan
American Health Organization. This agency was
established by the American Republics in 1902 as the Pan
American Sanitary Organization. Its origin lies in
agreements made in 1887 among Argentina, Brazil, and
Paraguay in attempting to regulate the spread of yellow
fever between their countries. The head quarters office,
located in Washington, D.C., is one of the regional
offices of the World Health Organization. Since 1924 the
activities of the Pan American Health Organization have
been increasingly devoted to providing technical
assistance to underdeveloped countries, to receiving and
disseminating epidemiological information, to financing
fellowships on health, medical, and nursing education,
and to promoting cooperation in medical research.
The World Health Organization organized in 1948 is
one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations.
Trough this organization the public health and medical
professions of more than 100 countries exchange their
knowledge and experience and work together in an effort
to achieve the highest possible level of health
throughout the world. The organization is not concerned
with problems that individual countries or territories
can solve with their own resources. Instead, it focuses
on those problems that can be satisfactorily solved only
through the cooperation of all or certain groups of
countries. For example, the eradication of malaria and
the control of cholera, plague, yellow fever, and
smallpox are international problems.
Progress toward better health throughout the world
also demands international cooperation in other
activities. Much of the organization’s resources are
devoted to giving guidance and other assistance in
maternal and child health, nutrition, nursing, and money
and the professional education and training of personnel
with the country being helped. The strengthening of
local health services in underdeveloped countries unites
these efforts worth those of more advanced countries to
form a common front against disease.
The League of Red Cross Societies is a federation of
Red Cross, Red Crescent, and Red Lion and Sun societies
throughout the world. Founded in1919, the League
constantly pioneers to discover new and better ways to
promoting the health and welfare of humanity. It strives
through the member societies to teach people on every
land how to improve their health. The League fills gaps
in existing health services of national Red Cross
societies and give them further aid when requested.
Through its Nursing Bureau and its Health and Social
Service Bureau the League provides health education
materials, grants scholarships and fellowships, and
conducts seminars or training courses for the
instruction of health workers of Red Cross societies. In
disaster, the League helps to meet the health needs of
stricken people by sending trained personnel, equipment,
and supplies provided by Red Cross societies around the
world. Also, in cooperation with the World Health
Organization, the League is often asked to recruit
personnel from member societies to help carry out health
programs and to meet crucial needs for trained personnel
in disaster areas.
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