2018/11/21 by Joseph LaDou, Leslie London, Andrew Watterson · 2 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Health Professions · #Employment and Welfare Studies #Global Health Care Issues #Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1186/s12940-018-0422-x
openalex publication_date 2018/11/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The response of the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2015 demonstrated that the global health system is unprepared to address what should be its primary mission, control of disease epidemics while protecting health workers. Critics blamed WHO politics and its rigid culture for the poor response to the epidemic. We find that United Nations agencies, WHO and the International Labor Organization (ILO), are faced with the global problem of inadequate worker protections and a growing crisis in occupational health. The WHO and ILO are given monumental tasks but only trivial budgets, and funding trends show UN agency dependence on private donations which are far larger than funds contributed by member states. The WHO and ILO have limited capacity to make the necessary changes occupational health and safety demand. The UN could strengthen the national and global civil society voice in WHO and ILO structures, and by keeping conflict of interest out of policy decisions, ensure greater freedom to operate without interference.