News Excerpt
US President Donald Trump said that he is going to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) because it has “failed in its basic duty” in its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Pre-Connect
The WHO was created in 1948 to coordinate health affairs within the United Nations system. WHO fulfils its objectives through its core functions:
•    Providing leadership on matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed;
•    Shaping the research agenda and stimulating the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge;
•    Setting norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation;
•    Articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options;
•    Providing technical support, catalysing change, and building sustainable institutional capacity; and
•    Monitoring the health situation and assessing health trends.

Analytica
Where does WHO get its funding from?
    It is funded by a large number of countries, philanthropic organisations, United Nations, etc.
    According to information uploaded by WHO, voluntary donations from member states (such as the US) contribute 35.41%.
    The US contributes almost 15% of the WHO’s total funding and almost 31% of the member states’ donations, the largest chunk in both cases. India contributes 1% of member states’ donations.
    Countries decide how much they pay and may also choose not to.
    The pandemic Influenza preparedness (PIP) contributions make up about 3 per cent of total WHO funds. The stated goal made in 2011 was “to improve and strengthen the sharing of influenza viruses with human pandemic potential”.

How is WHO involved in India?
    India became a party to the WHO Constitution on January 12, 1948.
    The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) 2019-2023 has been developed jointly by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the WHO India country office.
    This CCS not only builds upon the work that WHO has been supporting out in the last several years, but also expands to address complex challenges-such as the prevention of NCDs, the control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the reduction of air pollution, and the prevention and treatment of mental illnesses.
    The CCS’s strategic priorities are to accelerate progress on Universal Health Coverage, promote health and wellness by addressing determinants of health, better protect the population against health emergencies and enhance India’s global leadership in health.
    On the ground, WHO has been a key partner in the immunization programme, tackling TB and neglected diseases such as leprosy and kala azar, and nutrition programmes across states.

How have WHO and India worked together in the COVID-19 pandemic?
WHO has been working closely with MoHFW and various state governments on preparedness and response measures for COVID-19, including surveillance and contact tracing; laboratory and research protocols; risk communications; hospital preparedness; training on infection prevention and control and cluster containment plan. WHO stands together in solidarity with the government in its firm resolve to overcome this unprecedented challenge.

India has, however, largely built its own strategy, from its reluctance to test to the early travel restrictions to and from China and then the lockdown. While India imposed a lockdown when cases were just 341 (on March 22, starting with 75 districts), its resistance to mass testing is akin to the US’s strategy. India has also taken a call on universal use of masks when the WHO maintained that masks protect others rather than the wearer and need not be mandatory.

This year’s World Health Day (WHD) (April 7) comes in the midst of a health crisis in the form of the novel coronavirus pandemic that has resulted in an unprecedented lockdown in countries across the world. With 2020 being the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, the World Health Organization said that WHD, this year, would shine a light on the vital role played by nurses and midwives in providing healthcare around the world, and call for a strengthening of the nursing and midwifery workforce.
It will also see the launch of the first ever State of the World’s Nursing Report 2020, which will provide a global picture of the nursing workforce and support evidence-based planning to optimise contributions of this workforce to improve health and well-being for all.
The State of the World’s Nursing 2020, provides an in-depth look at the largest component of the health workforce. Findings identify important gaps in the nursing workforce and priority areas for investment in nursing education, jobs, and leadership to strengthen nursing around the world and improve health for all.