World Health Organization Background Guide

Download the Background Guide HERE or in the Document Download Page

In order to provide delegates with the best possible experience and be able to have larger committees we have made the decision to cancel this committee.

Esteemed Delegates,
Welcome to Bradley University's Model United Nations Conference!  During this conference, you will be participating as members of the World Health Organization, otherwise known as the WHO.  My name is Nicki Hanson and I will be chairing your committee. I am a sophomore International Studies major here at Bradley University.
            The WHO operates within the United Nations as a coordinator and authority of health issues throughout the world.  Founded on April 7, 1948 (World Health Day), WHO is responsible for addressing health matters, which have global, transnational implications.  The WHO responds to such challenges using a six-point agenda. These points are: promoting development; fostering health security; strengthening health systems; harnessing research, information, and evidence; enhancing partnerships (from other UN agencies to members of civil society); and improving performance. According to Dr. Margaret Chan, the Director-General of WHO, the overall performance of WHO will be measured by the impact of its work on women's health and health in Africa.  However, WHO addresses a variety of other health issues as well.  The topics we will address at this conference are avian influenza, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and food safety. Each of these issues has potentially devastating worldwide implications.  Responses to such issues are not clear-cut or universally agreed upon.
            I wish you the best in preparing for the conference.  I look forward to meeting all of you!  If you have any questions you can contact me at nhanson@mail.bradley.edu.

            The three topics that will be presented in this background guide are:

                        1.  Avian Influenza

                        2.  HIV/AIDS Pandemic

Sincerely,
Nicki Hanson
BUMUN Staff 2007-2008
World Health Organization Chair

1.  Avian Influenza

            Avian influenza, otherwise known, as "bird flu" is an infection caused viruses that typically infect only birds.  This contagious disease has two main forms, “low pathogenic” and “high pathogenic.”  The low pathogenic form causes only mild symptoms and is often undetected.  However, the high pathogenic form affects multiple organs and spreads extremely quickly.  Often, an entire flock of birds can fall victim to the disease within 48 hours.  It is understood that the viruses, which cause highly pathogenic disease, are introduced into the flocks in low pathogenic forms.  Since they are often undetected, they are allowed to circulate through the flocks and mutate.  Within a few months, highly pathogenic disease begins to appear. Avian influenza poses two main risks to human health.  First of all, the disease can be passed to humans when an infected bird is consumed.  Fatality rates are high for those who have been infected in this manner, even though the vast majority of victims were previously healthy individuals.  Secondly, there is concern that if the virus is given enough opportunities, it will change into a form that passes from person to person.  This could cause a worldwide pandemic.
            In order to assist states and organizations responsible for dealing with health threats to respond to pandemic influenza, the World Health Organization published the Influenza pandemic plan.  The role of WHO and guidelines for national and regional planning in 1999.  However, since 2003, the H5N1 influenza virus has persisted in Asian poultry flocks.  In 2005, the WHO published a new global influenza preparedness plan.  This new plan addresses the idea that an influenza virus with pandemic potential will possibly exist for quite some time.  It also outlines recommendations for national authorities in the case of an influenza outbreak in the hopes that it will prevent a pandemic.  The committee should focus on the revised global influenza preparedness plan, as well as national plans addressing an influenza outbreak.

Committee Directives

2.  HIV/AIDS Pandemic

HIV/AIDS is a growing problem throughout the world and has been ever since it was first recognized in the 1980s.  The virus can be spread very quickly, especially in communities where people do not understand how it can be transmitted.  There are about forty million people worldwide that have been infected.  The AIDS epidemic has mostly affected young to middle- aged adults.  In Africa ¾ of the infected population are women.  In regions with high rates of infected people, like Sub-Saharan Africa, many children are made into orphans.  Highly effected communities also have major dents in their production force, which makes it difficult for them to have functioning economies.  The introduction of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in 1996 transformed the treatment of HIV and AIDS, improving the quality and greatly prolonging the lives of many infected people in places where the drugs are available.  Unfortunately, the most effected regions do not have the funds or the skills to provide treatment.  Many grass root organization fought for the right to universal care and treatment of HIV, and in 2001 the UN General Assembly unanimously endorsed The Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, which embraced equitable access to care and treatment as a fundamental component of a comprehensive and effective response to the HIV epidemic.
In response to the high percentage of women with HIV at the 2006 High Level Meeting on Aids, all UN member states pledged to “increase the capacity of women and adolescent girls to protect themselves from the risk of HIV infection.”  The 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic outlined steps that should be taken in order to decrease gender inequalities that may put women at a higher risk of infection.  There were four main points in the report that related to the protection of women: leaders at every level of society must speak out against gender inequality; laws and policies must be made and enforced to protect women, even if it goes against traditional practices; women should be represented in policy/decision making on AIDS; changes in laws and policies should be adequately funded and should be accompanied by a 'know your rights' campaign.
This committee should focus on the guidelines set forth in the 2006 report, as well as proposals for universal treatment.  Based on economic status, the number of infected citizens, and national culture, countries will have differing views of what the best solution to the HIV/AIDS epidemic is.  It is imperative that an agreement be made so that serious action can be taken in all areas of the world.

Committee Directives

3.  Food Safety Standards

            Food safety is a major issue for many nations around the world. Almost two million people are killed every year and countless more become ill because of food and waterborne diseases.  The majority of these cases are among children in developing nations.  The main cause behind these tragedies is the consumption of contaminated food products, which can come from the pollution and contamination of raw foods during the stages of production due to the environment, from poor sanitation and handling practices during the processing and shipping and handling stages, or from contamination during the preparation and consumption of food.
            The United Nations and the World Health Organization have been working on solutions to this problem for many years.  One development in this area was the First Action Plan for Food and Nutrition for the European region.  The WHO approved it in 2000.  This plan led to the development of national policies on food and nutrition in most European Countries.  These programs strived to reduce food related diseases through country-specific programs.  It was discovered, however, that there were problems putting these programs into operation and so there have been recent movements for more action.  The Second Action Plan was first presented in September of 2007 in order to help countries begin food and nutrition programs.  Some of the new recommendations for this plan are providing more information to and educating the public on food safety issues. There are also recommendations to monitor and evaluate the food production and processing in these countries.  This plan will work to train and implement these food and nutrition programs within the separate governments and health systems of each nation.
            Therefore, the committee should focus on this model for improving food safety, other proposed models, and whether a program such as this is even needed.  Another aspect to consider is the implementation of a penalty system for member nations that do not meet international food safety standards.

Committee Directives

• Revise the proposed action plan. Does this plan suit the interests of your nation?
• Is your country supportive of a plan that establishes separate programs through the government of each separate nation or does it feel that a single international program would be more beneficial?
• Does your country believe that the UN and the WHO should be involved with regulating food safety at all or should this matter be left to individual nations?
• Is your country supportive of creating penalties for nations that do meet international food safety standards? If so, what do you suggest?