The World Health Organization (WHO), with the Republic of China (ROC) 🇹🇼 as a major founding member, is a pilot in the significant improvement of global health in modern times. The declaration promoting the establishment of the World Health Organization was drafted by our countryman Szeming Sze.
The World Health Organization is now the world’s largest intergovernmental public health organization, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. According to the “Constitution of the World Health Organization”, the purpose of the WHO is “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.” The organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.”
In the conference that created the United Nations Charter, the representatives from Norway 🇳🇴, Brazil 🇧🇷, and the Republic of China 🇹🇼 representative Szeming Sze were the only physicians among the national representatives. As a diplomat, in addition to participating in the founding of the United Nations 🇺🇳, Szeming Sze also focused on global health issues. Taking advantage of this conference, Szeming Sze attempted to include global health issues in the agenda, but failed due to opposition from the United States 🇺🇸 and the United Kingdom 🇬🇧.
At the suggestion of the Indian 🇮🇳 representative, Szeming Sze and the Brazilian representative jointly proposed a declaration. On this basis, the World Health Assembly was held later, and finally the World Health Organization was created, allowing the health civilization of all mankind on Earth to take a big step forward.
Szeming Sze was a student at a private elite school in Britain, then studied at the University of Cambridge, and served as a physician at a London hospital, treating residents of the lower-middle class in London, which initiated his attention to public service and public health. His father, Alfred Sao-ke Sze (Sze Chao-chi), was the first Ambassador of the Republic of China to the United States.