WHO organizational structure
From our longstanding Geneva headquarters to our 6 regional offices, 150 country offices and other offices around the world, WHO plays an essential role improving local health systems and coordinating the global response to health threats. Discover how we work to support the efforts of governments and partners to ensure everyone, everywhere has an equal chance at a safe and healthy life.
WHO Member States are grouped into 6 regions. Each region has a regional office.
Regional websites
WHO collaborates with our Member States to provide on-the-ground planning, implementing and monitoring of health programmes. Today, more than half of WHO staff work in country offices.
WHO’s global office is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
Since our inception in 1948, WHO has been hosted by the Swiss Federation. Our main building was inaugurated in 1966. Today, the campus is home to 2400 employees. The headquarters is currently undergoing modernization, which will be completed in 2024. The building renovation aims to increase site efficiency and decrease the operational budget by investing in a long-term modern, high standard and energy-efficient building.
The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence supports countries, regional and global actors to address future pandemic and epidemic risks with better access to data, better analytical capacities, and better tools and insights for decision-making. Based in Berlin, the Hub is supported by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Our office at the United Nations facilitates WHO’s participation in meetings of the UN Security Council, the General Assembly of the UN, and the UN Economic and Social Council, as well as other intergovernmental forums, interagency briefings and, events. Colleagues working at the office also interact regularly with the UN Press Corp.
The WHO Lyon Office is part of the Department of Country Readiness Strengthening under the WHO Emergency Preparedness Division.
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WHO’s global research centre fosters innovative solutions and translates them into policies and actions to achieve sustainable universal health coverage.
The WHO Academy is the World Health Organization’s state-of-the-art lifelong learning centre, bringing the very latest innovations in adult learning to global health. Now under development with the support of France, the Academy will scale up learning for impact through online, in-person and blended learning programmes, reaching millions of health workers and others all over the world.
The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine aims to harness the potential of traditional medicine from across the world through modern science and technology to improve the health of people and the planet. The Centre is supported financially by the Government of India.
The Global Service Centre provides administrative and IT support services to all staff and WHO offices worldwide.
The WHO Budapest Centre was initially established to support WHO’s internal justice system. It now also hosts several business operations functions.
