WHO60 PHOTO EXHIBITION: PUBLIC HEALTH OVER THE PAST 60 YEARS
“As part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of WHO, a photo collection – spanning the sixty years of WHO – is being exhibited around the world in 2008. The exhibit, based on the anniversary theme of “Our health, our future”,tells the story of WHO and public health over the last sixty years. It features key public health milestones and highlights such themes as the development of the first successful polio vaccine, the eradication of smallpox, primary health care, tobacco control and the revision of the International Health Regulations and protecting health from climate change to name a few.
The exhibit opened at the start of the WHO Executive Board’s 122nd session on 21 January 2008. It then travelled to the United Nations headquarters in New York for the entire month of April to coincide with World Health Day on 7 April. The exhibit will then return to Geneva for the World Health Assembly in May and travel again to all six regions to be featured at various events and regional committee meetings from June to December”.
1945
Approval by the United Nations Conference
in San Francisco for the establishment of
a new, autonomous, international health
organization.
1947
Establishment of the epidemiological information
service – an automatic telex reply
service that tracks information on diseases
subject to the International Sanitary Regulations
(later renamed International Health
Regulations) and other communicable diseases
of international importance.
1948 –
Coming into force of the World
Health Organization Constitution on 7 April.
1950
Celebration of the first World Health
Day on 7 April – an annual event to raise
awareness of key global health issues.
1950
Mass TB immunization with BCG vaccine under
way to protect children from tuberculosis.
1955
Launch of the Malaria Eradication
Programme. Its objective was modifi
ed in 1969. Subsequently, most of the
eradication programmes were turned
into control programmes.
1965
Issuance of the first report on diabetes mellitus.
By 2000, 171 million people worldwide
carried the disease, a number likely to
increase to at least 366 million by 2030.
1965
The International Agency for Research on
Cancer is established to coordinate and
conduct both epidemiological and laboratory
research into the causes of human cancer.
1966
Inauguration of the World Health
Organization’s headquarters.
1974
Launch of the Expanded Programme on
Immunization.
1974
Launch of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme
in collaboration with the Food and
Agriculture Organization, the United Nations
Development Programme, and the World Bank.
1975
The Special Programme for Research
and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR)
is established.
1976
The World Health Assembly adopts a resolution
on Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation calling
for an integration of rehabilitation into primary
health care programs and community life.
1977
Publication of the first essential
medicines list.
1978
Setting of the historic goal of “Health for all”
at the International Conference on Primary
Health Care in Alma-Ata.
1979
Certifi cation by a global commission
of the worldwide eradication of smallpox.
1986
Creation of the Global Programme on AIDS
to develop and coordinate a global strategy
to fight the disease.
1988
Endorsement by the World Health Assembly
of a resolution on non-discrimination against
people living with AIDS.
1988
Establishment of the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative in collaboration with UNICEF, the US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
and Rotary International.
1995
Establishment of the International
Commission for the Certifi cation of
Dracunculiasis Eradication. (Dracunculiasis
is also known as guinea-worm disease.)
1996
Creation of UNAIDS with six
founding partner agencies.
2000
Launch of the Stop TB Partnership.
It now includes over 500 partners working
to reduce the global burden of TB by increasing
access to treatment through DOTS
programmes, and addressing challenges
such as TB/HIV and drug-resistant TB.
2000
Adoption by 189 UN Member States of the
Millennium Declaration that results in the
Millennium Development Goals. Three out
of the eight goals relate directly to health.
2001
The Measles Initiative is launched in partnership
with the American Red Cross, UNICEF,
the United Nations Foundation and the US
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
2002
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
and Malaria is created to dramatically increase
resources to fi ght three of the world’s most
devastating diseases.
2002
The first World report on violence and health
is launched.
2003
Launch of the 3x5 Initiative with UNAIDS,
aiming to get 3 million people on antiretroviral
treatment by the end of 2005.
2003
Adoption by the World Health Assembly of
the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
– now one of the most widely supported
treaties in the history of the United Nations.
2003
Control of Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) after it is recognized.
The World Health Organization coordinated
the international investigation with the
Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network
and worked closely with health authorities
in the affected countries.
2004
The first use of the Strategic Health
Operations Centre to assist with emergency
coordination following the Indian Ocean
tsunami disaster.
2004
Adoption of the Global Strategy
on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.
2005
Launch of the Partnership for Maternal,
Newborn and Child Health to ensure that all
women, infants and children remain healthy.
2005
Launch of the Commission on Social
Determinants of Health to support countries
and global health partners in addressing social
factors leading to ill-health and inequities.
2007
Coming into force of the revised International
Health Regulations – a new legal
framework adopted by most countries to contain
the threats from diseases that may rapidly
spread from one country to another.
2008
Advocacy by the World Health Organization
to protect people’s health from
the effects of climate change, a growing
threat to public health security.
