World Health Organization and global health policy.

T he World Health Organization (WHO) was founded in 1948 as a special agency of the United Nations. The WHO goal is “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health” (WHO, 1999, p.2). To achieve this objective, the main functions of WHO are to direct and coordinate international health work by setting standards and guidelines and to provide technical assistance in cooperation with countries to strengthen national health programs. Nurses and midwives around the world can benefit from knowledge of WHO and its functions in setting health policy. Thus this paper is focused on promoting understanding of WHO in global health policy and increasing awareness of the World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions that influence nursing and midwifery.