World Health Authority

World Health Authority

WHA Flag
Abbreviation	WHA
Formation	January 6, 2009 (2009-01-06); 17 years, 150 days
Type	World Assembly agency
Legal status	Active
Headquarters	WA Headquarters

The World Health Authority, or WHA, is an agency of the World Assembly (WA) based at the WA Headquarters in sovereign WA territory. Its stated purpose at its creation was to monitor, identify, and manage threats to global health, and to coordinate international response to threats to public health. Since then, additional duties have been added to its remit by the General Assembly, with various pieces of legislation also creating child agencies of the WHA which are tasked with specific responsibilities.

The WHA maintains offices in most World Assembly member nations, with some more specialised tasks forces located in nations experiencing significant public health issues, or other problems under the purview of the WHA or its child agencies. As with other World Assembly agencies, all member states are under the responsibility of the World Health Authority.

History

The World Health Authority was established upon the passage of General Assembly Resolution #31 on 06 January 2009. Proposed by the delegation from the nation of Belarum, it followed a number of resolutions concerned with the health and wellbeing of people within World Assembly member states, including on topics such as the coordination of relief aid, the transportation of medical aid and supplies, and regulations on the treatment of the ill in member states' territory.

WA General Assembly Resolution 31
Date	06 January 2009
Code	GA#31 ([ Document])
Title	World Health Authority
Voting summary	3,284 voted for 838 voted against
Result	Adopted
Status	Extant

The WHA was originally tasked with a very limited and defined mission, namely:

• to identify, assess, and communicate current and emerging threats to global health;
• to actively research treatment, cures, and preventative measures concerning threats to global health; and,
• to coordinate efforts between WA member states in preventing and controlling serious health concerns.

The World Health Authority was originally intended as a replacement for the defunct United Nations Center for Disease Prevention and Control, which had ceased to exist upon the collapse of the United Nations, and indeed has the very same similar aims. However, later delegations built upon this basic foundation and added more responsibilities, such as biomedical education and innovation, and regulation for animal experimentation among others.

Activities

World Medications Council

General Assembly Resolution #582 established the World Medications Council (WMC) under the auspices of the WHA. Via this child agency, the WHA was tasked with the mission of improving access to safe, cost-effective, and efficacious medicine in all member nations. This resolution tasked the WMC with creating and maintaining an Effective Medications List; essentially, amongst other things, compiling a list of medicines, their use and prescription properties (including dosage), and their cost points to disseminate to member nations.

The WHA was also, through the WMC, tasked with assessing the safety and efficacy of all medicines, current and future, making it the international agency responsible for the regulation and supervision of pharmaceutical products and their distribution in member states.