Specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1946 to prevent the spread of diseases and to eradicate them. From 1996 to 1997 it had a budget of US$842.654 million. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. The WHO's greatest achievement to date has been the eradication of smallpox.
The WHO aims to eradicate seven major diseases: polio, measles, leprosy, river blindness, lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), Chagas' disease, and guinea worm disease. Polio is expected to be eradicated by 2005, whereas the deadline for filariasis is 2030.
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