ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the strengths and weaknesses of efforts to promote global health through international organizations, with a focus on the United Nations (UN) organs and programs. In particular, the chapter looks closely at the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) as an important example of global health promotion efforts within the UN system. The chapter examines the global campaign to eradicate smallpox, a success story coordinated and led by the WHO, as an example of an effective top-down effort to promote global health. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the health-related provisions of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In doing so, it considers the value of global norms as a tool for promoting global health. As it looks at the role of international organizations, the chapter examines the political and legal obstacles that arise when seeking to promote global health in a top-down fashion.
