What is the primary role of the World Health Organization (WHO) within the United Nations system?

The primary role of the World Health Organization (WHO) within the United Nations system is to direct and coordinate international health efforts. This involves providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting evidence-based health standards, and promoting health policies and programs across member countries. As a specialized agency, WHO collaborates with governments and other partners to address health issues that transcend national boundaries, such as infectious diseases, pandemics, and health inequalities.

Focusing on coordination means WHO plays a vital part in the global responses to health emergencies and health system strengthening, ensuring that resources and expertise are effectively utilized in addressing public health challenges. This coordination extends to funding, research, and sharing best practices among nations, which is crucial for a unified global response to health crises.

Other options, while related to health, do not capture the comprehensive and collaborative engagement that WHO embodies in the international health landscape. Establishing national health policies is typically the responsibility of individual governments, managing healthcare facilities usually falls to local entities, and enforcing health regulations is generally a role fulfilled by governmental agencies rather than an international organization like the WHO.