WHO
Organizations & Companies abbreviation · International Organization
| Stands for | World Health Organization |
|---|---|
| Categories | Organizations & Companies |
WHO stands for World Health Organization, an international organization abbreviation.
UN specialized agency for international public health, which coordinates responses to disease outbreaks, sets health standards and guidelines, declares public health emergencies and supports national health systems. A Director-General, elected by the World Health Assembly, leads its Geneva secretariat.
Example: The WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
Usage notes
Its constitution came into force on April 7, 1948, now World Health Day. It led the eradication of smallpox, certified in 1980, and characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The United States gave notice of withdrawal in January 2025, effective in January 2026. Member states adopted a Pandemic Agreement in May 2025.
Related abbreviations
More international organization abbreviations
- ADB – Asian Development Bank
- AfDB – African Development Bank
- AIIB – Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- ANZUS – Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty
- APEC – Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
- ASEAN – Association of Southeast Asian Nations
- AU – African Union
- AUKUS – Australia, United Kingdom, United States
- BIS – Bank for International Settlements
- BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa
- CARICOM – Caribbean Community
- CERN – European Organization for Nuclear Research