International Health and UN Organizations

Study Notes

The course title is "Current Issues in Health" with the code SSN 486 and 2 credits.

The course covers topics such as: • Health Sector Reforms • Domestic Violence • Diseases for Elimination and Eradication • Sustainable Development Goals • Climate Change and Health • Health Care Financing • Safe Motherhood and Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care • Malaria Control Initiatives • Initiative to Manage and Control Nutritional Deficiencies • Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness • Ebola • Introduction of new vaccines • International Health Partnerships

The approach to the course includes: • Historical background of the initiatives • Progress and updates • Challenges • Relevance to midwifery and nursing practice

The teaching methods include lectures and discussions
The assessment methods include assignments, mid-semester, and end of semester exams

The reference materials include: • WHO technical reports • UNICEF reports • Ministry of Health, Ghana website • Ghana Health Service

The UN was established on October 24, 1945, after World War II
The UN has 193 member states
The UN Headquarters is in New York City
The UN is financed by voluntary contributions from its member states
The UN has six principal organs: • General Assembly • Security Council • Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) • International Court of Justice • Secretariat • United Nations Trusteeship Council

The WHO was established on April 7, 1948
The WHO is the directing and coordinating authority on international health within the UN's system
The WHO Headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland
The WHO is governed by the World Health Assembly, which is composed of representatives from all member countries
The WHO has six main areas of work: • Health systems • Promoting health through the life-course • Non-communicable diseases • Communicable diseases • Preparedness, surveillance, and response • Corporate services

The WHO is funded by contributions from all member countries and donations from philanthropists

UNICEF was established on December 11, 1946
UNICEF's original mandate was to meet the emergency needs of children in the aftermath of World War II
In 1950, UNICEF's mandate was broadened to address the long-term needs of children and women in developing countries
UNICEF has a presence in over 190 countries and territories
UNICEF has seven regional offices: • Americas and Caribbean • Central and Eastern Europe • East Asia and the Pacific • Eastern and Southern Africa • Middle East and North Africa • South Asia • West and Central Africa
UNICEF's headquarters is in New York and has a research centre in Florence, Italy

UNICEF is governed by a 36-member Executive Board
The Executive Board is made up of representatives from member states
The Executive Board establishes policies, approves programmes, and decides on administrative and financial plans and budgets

UNICEF's areas of work include: • Adolescent development • Child protection • Child rights • Children with disabilities • Climate change and environment • COVID-19 response • Early childhood development • Education • Social policy • Water, sanitation, and hygiene • Gender • Health • Humanitarian emergencies • Immunization • Migrant and refugee children • Nutrition • Social and behaviour change

UNICEF has been operational in Ghana since 1982
The country office is in Accra, and the field office is in Tamale
UNICEF's main partners in Ghana include the government, NGOs, civil society, media, private sector, and communities
UNICEF's works in Ghana target the poorest parts of the country and the most marginalized groups of the population