What future WHO?
New actors on the international health scene have emerged, challenging WHO's leadership in global health. The role and functions of WHO have been questioned. Changes in financing have eroded the influence of the governing bodies. The Nordic countries, which together provide a considerable share of the total voluntary contributions to WHO, have recently made a number of studies of WHO, pinpointing weaknesses and proposing reforms. A slow reform process is also taking place within WHO. The main conclusions from these studies are analyzed and the areas with the greatest need for reform are studied. This paper presents proposals for the far-reaching reforms needed for WHO to recapture its leadership role in international health.
Unit of International Health Care Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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D002017:Budgets / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003625:Data Collection; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends*; D007391:International Cooperation; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D014944:World Health Organization / Q000458:organization & administration*