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Witness History: The origin of the WHO

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Why the World Health Organisation was created

04/06/2020 GMT

The origin of the WHO

BBC World Service - Witness History, The origin of the WHO

How the cold war helped shape the creation of the WHO and what role China played.

The foundation of the World Health Organisation as remembered by one of the Chinese founders - and the role cold war politics played in its early development.

The WHO was first proposed as part of the new United Nations programme to reform the post-war world. The idea for an international health organisation to help promote good health globally was put forward by a member of the Chinese delegation, Szeming Sze. His memoirs reveal the political difficulties which dogged the process and his son remembers his passion for the project. We also hear from historian, Professor Theodore M Brown on what was really going on behind the scenes.

Photo: Official logo of the World Health Organisation 1950 (Getty Images).

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