Analysis of Australia's International Health Relations: A Report

This report provides a comprehensive overview of Australia's international health relations, with a specific focus on the role and influence of the World Health Organization (WHO). It begins with an introduction to the WHO, its formation, and its key objectives in addressing global public health concerns. The discussion section delves into the WHO's reforms, its shift towards a global approach, and its efforts to combat communicable and non-communicable diseases. The report also examines the implementation of International Health Regulations, stakeholder engagement, and managerial procedures aimed at enhancing the WHO's efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, it highlights the WHO's initiatives in various areas, including disease eradication, health policy formulation, and access to medical aids. The report concludes by emphasizing the WHO's commitment to improving health governance, supporting cooperation, and promoting population health. References from various scholarly sources are included to support the analysis.

Running head: Australia’s International Health Relations
Australia’s International Health Relations

Australia’s International Health Relations 1
Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
Discussion...................................................................................................................................................2
Summary.....................................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................5
References...................................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
World Health Organization (WHO) is an agency which was created by the United Nations which
relates to the concerns of the issues of international public health. It was created on 7th April,
1948 .It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. World Health Organization (WHO) is a
member of the UN Development Group. The constitution of World Health Organization (WHO)
was signed by 61 countries on 7th April,1948. Since its incorporation, it has played an important
role in eliminating small pox from the world (WHO, 2018).
For preparing the world health report, World Health Survey and World Health Day, World
Health Organization (WHO) does the survey and gathers information. Tedros Adhanom is the
Director General of WHO and he started his 5 year term on July 1, 2017. The parent organization
of World Health Organization (WHO) is United Nations Economic and Social Council
(EOSOC).
Discussion
The main aim of World Health Organization (WHO) is to introduce certain reforms regarding
health awareness in 154 countries which are its members. For executing the policies related to
the reforms, it is assisted by more than 7000 staff members and six regional offices. The motive
of World Health Organization (WHO) is to provide leadership issues relating to public health.
World Health Organization (WHO) is accountable to define the agendas related to health
research and guidelines on health standards. It has endeavored to communicate the insurance
policy options for compensating the losses suffered due to ill health of the people of the member
countries (WHO Reform Story, 2018).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced certain reforms in the health sector
regarding awareness of health among the people of the member countries. The World Health
Organization (WHO) has to shift its focus from international to global approach if it is to fulfill
its mandate. For this, it has introduced certain universal health coverage programs for its
members. Its present policies comprise of removing communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS,
Ebola, Malaria and Tuberculosis. It also endeavors to diminish the effects of non-communicable
diseases and works upon the issues such as development of human health, nutrition, and

Australia’s International Health Relations 3
eliminating contamination of food, healthy eating and occupational health (World Health
Organization, 2017).
In order to fulfill the mandatory work, WHO implemented International Health Regulations for
achieving its goal of adopting Global instead of International approach. It attempts to reduce the
health problems by dealing with the issues related to social, environmental and economic
elements of health. It is also attempting to increase the access of high quality medical products
by lowering their prices so that they can be within the reach of common man (World Health
Organization, 2015).
To accomplish the goal of adopting a global instead of the international approach, if it is to fulfill
what is mandatory, new reforms have been introduced by the World Health
Assembly ,Executive Board and its committees and Regional Committees regarding the
empowerment of the World Health Organization (WHO).They attempt to align the governance
processes , upgrade the strategic decision making and develop the reporting and communication
for introducing the new reforms and upgrading the functioning of World Health Organization
(WHO). Apart from this,the World Health Organization (WHO) has empowered its engagement
with the partners and stakeholders such as United Nation Agencies, NGO’s, foundations,
civilsocieties, academia and industries (WHO, 2017). It will help World Health Organization
(WHO) to harmonize its activities to promote health and wellbeing of the people of the member
countries. The stakeholder engagement is built on the World Health Organization’s
intergovernmental identity and science based methodology (United Nations, 2017).
To fulfill its aim of adopting a global rather than the international approach, if it is to fulfill its
mandate, the World Health Organization (WHO) revive its managerial procedures and
organizational structures which would result in enhancing the efficiency, productivity,
effectiveness and accountability of the World Health Organization (WHO) (Yach, 2016). The
plan’s important elements include new approach for adopting result based management, a new
financing methodology and an empowered culture of assessment.
For fulfilling its goal of adopting a global rather than the international approach, if it is to fulfill
its mandate, the World Health Organization (WHO) has formulated the Ebola Interim
Assessment Panel which aims at eradicating this disease from the root level. It believes that for

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eradicating this deadly disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) has to execute certain
changes in its Secretariat and Member States. The Secretariat has to transform itself for
performing its function on global health in a better way. For this the International Health
Regulations have been formulated. Its motive is to eradicate, safeguard against and regulate the
spread of the disease globally (Negin & Dhillon, 2016).
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) in order to fulfill its goal of adopting a global instead of
the international approach, if it is to fulfill what is mandatory, has implemented certain measures
in this regard. It has empowered its scope outside its core strategies and gained proficiency in
dealing with epidemics. For implementing the global vision of World Health Organization
(WHO), as it is described in the Sustainable Development goals, it has supported the government
of the member states to execute the suitable activities in the health sector. It has endeavored to
take the lead role for building forumsfor connecting multiple stakeholders and in dealing with the
economic, environmental andsocial issues related to health. The World Health Organization
(WHO) is also taking initiatives in cooperating with the health partners to make sure that all the
stakeholders are conscious of the health issues and activities in the member countries (Legge,
2016).
World Health Organization (WHO) has formulated certain policies to save human lives and to
make sure that the epidemics are eradicated. For implementing its policies, the World Health
Organization (WHO) has increased its accessibility to eradicate TB, AIDS, Malaria and
neglected tropical diseases. It also attempts to eradicate viral hepatitis and accelerate its control
and treatment of Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya. It has formulated its policies regarding the
treatment of child health and its focus is on vulnerable groups which are prone to diseases and
infection (World Health Organization, 2015).
World Health Organization (WHO) has formulated the policies related to safeguarding the public
health, to estimate and diminish the environmental and arising threats related to health. It has
attempted to introduce tobacco free societies and increased the opportunities for healthy
lifestyles. Apart from that, the adopting a global rather than the international approach, if it is to
fulfill its mandate, the World Health Organization (WHO) has facilitated the access of the

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common man to the medical aids. It has also contributed towards prevention and dealing with
gender based violence (Gostin, Sridhar & Hougendobler , 2015).
It has advanced the formulation of the ‘Comprehensive Nutrition Program’. Ithas assisted in the
execution of the Asia Pacific Strategy for disease and public health emergencies and formulated
the disaster risk management for healthrelated issues. To achieve its goal of adopting a global
rather than the international approach, if it is to fulfill its mandate, ithas assisted the National
Health Cluster Response in emergency situations. It has made attempts to increase the access to
clean air and facilitated the access of the common man to safe water and food (Graham, 2014).
It is advocating for eco-friendly health care amenities and has made efforts to diminish the
carbon emissions .It has supported the action plan for fighting against the Antimicrobial
Resistance .At the administrative level it has endeavored to increase the efficiency of the health
departments in the federalized governance structures. It has assisted in increasing the efficiency
of the regulations, related to obtaining and management of the supplies and logistics related to
health management. It has ensured safeguarding against the catastrophic disasters related to
health (Revees & Brundage, 2011).
Conclusion
Thus, to conclude, in order to fulfill the goal of adopting a global rather than the international
approach, if it is to fulfill its mandate, the World Health Organization (WHO) has attempted to
improve its governance related to policies and procedures of health management. It is working
with the government departments, legislators and organizations related to health laws and
procedures to support multispectral cooperation. It has assisted the educational sectors and youth
oriented organizations through the Department of Education and Commission on higher
education. It has empowered its member countries to encourage population health (Markel,
2014).
Apart from implementing these strategies, World Health Organization (WHO) has dealt with the
issues related to accidents related to roads and traffic. So, the World Health Organization has
attempted to fulfill its goal of adopting a global rather than the international approach, if it is to

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fulfill its mandate, by formulating policies and procedures to spread the awareness of public
health and wellbeing with the governments of the member countries (Liden, 2014).

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References
Gostin, L.O., Sridhar, D. &Hougendobler,D. (2015) The normative authority of the World
Health Organization. Public Health, 129(2015),854-863.
Graham, E.R.(2014). International organizations as collective agents: Fragmentation and the
limits of principal control at the World Health Organization.European Journal of
International Relations,20(2), 366–390.
Legge,D.V.(2016). WHO Reform: Need a global mobilization around the democratization of
global health governance.Retrieved from
http://www.phmovement.org/sites/www.phmovement.org/files/Legge
%282016%29WHOReformB.pdfon 2nd February, 2018.
Liden,J.(2014) . WHO: Past, Present and Future The World Health Organization and Global
Health Governance: post-1990. Public Health,128(2014),141-147.
Markel, H.(2014).WHO: Past, Present and FutureWorldly approaches to global health: 1851 to
the present. Public Health,128(2014), 124-128.
Negin, J. &Dhillon, R.S.(2016). Outsourcing: how to reform WHO for the 21st century. BMJ
Global Health, 2016(1),1-4.
Revees,M.&Brundage,S.(2011).Leveraging the World Health Organizations’ Core Strengths.
Washington, DC: Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
United Nations(2017).The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2017. Retrieved from
https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/files/report/2017/TheSustainableDevelopmentGoalsReport20
17.pdf on 2nd February, 2018.
WHO (2017). Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality. Retrieved from
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/254637/1/9789241549950-eng.pdf on 2nd
February, 2018.
WHO (2018).About WHO. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/about/en/ on 1st February,2018.

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WHO Reform Story(2018) .Our reform story. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/about/who_reform/who_reform_story.pdf?ua=1 on 1st
February,2018.
World Health Organization (2015).The End TB Strategy. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/tb/End_TB_brochure.pdf on 2nd February, 2018.
World Health Organization (2017).The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the
World.Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/a-I7695e.pdf on 2nd February, 2018.
World Health Organzation(2015).Report of the Ebola Interim Assessment Panel. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/ebola/report-by-panel.pdf on 2nd February,
2018.
Yach, D.(2016). World Health Organization Reform—A Normative or an Operational
Organization? American Journal of Public Health,106(11),1904-1906.