Question

1. What is the World Health Organization and who funds the WHO? What is UNODC
2. What efforts and programs do they have to address the drug problem worldwide?
3. Identify two Operational Recommendations of the WHO regarding drugs. Does any recommendation address the supply side of the Drug Problem? Do you agree with WHO on that and why?

Answer 1

> WHO

World Health Organisation is specialised agency of United Nations established on 7th April. WHO serves as a directing and coordinating authority for international health matters and public health . It it aims to develop and implement multisectoral public policies for health, integrated Gender and age sensitive approaches that facilitate community empowerment, together with action for health Promotion, selfcare and health protection throughout the life course in cooperation with their relevant national and international partners.

> Funding of WHO

There are two fundamental sources of funding.

1) Membership dues and voluntary contributions from member states and other partners.

2) Assessed contributions ( a certain percentage of GDP) from member states.

Those who contribute funds are as follows

*member states

*other United Nations organizations

*Intergovernmental organizations

*philanthropic foundations

* Privatesector and other sources

> Efforts to address drug problem

* WHO is one of the four treaty bodies to the international drug control conventions.

* WHO played an important role in organising the Convention on Rights of the child which emphasises the need to protect children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, as defined in the relevant International treaties, and to prevent the use of children in the illicit production and trafficking of such substances.

* Organised the World health assembly resolutions in 1990, 2005 and 2014 related to drug use.

* WHO has constitutional mandate to address issues related to drug use and and dependence.

* W H O provide guidance on evidence-based public health approaches to HIV, tuberculosis, Viral hepatitis and injecting drug use. The focus of this area of work is on injecting drug used as a major risk factor for these comorbidities.

> Operational recommendations of WHO regarding drug use.

* prevent the spread of drug abuse in individuals families communities and countries .

* Develop effective approaches to the treatment of drug dependence and associated diseases.

These two suggestions deal with the demand side of the issue rather than supply side since these recommendations focus on use of drugs.

However WHO has also tried to analyse the issue from the Supply side. Its evident from a resolution of WHO. The resolution included a suggestion to collaborate in controlling the Supply of illicit psychoactive substances