World Health Organization (WHO) Logo PNG
The World Health Organization logo conveys concern for the health of all mankind for the sake of peace and prosperity. The organization guards against dangerous diseases and takes measures to prevent them. The color scheme underscores the global nature of the emblem’s goals.
The World Health Organization grew from early efforts to control disease across borders. In 1851, the first International Sanitary Conference met in Paris to discuss cholera quarantine rules. Later came the International Sanitary Bureau in 1902, the Paris-based International Office of Public Hygiene in 1907, and the League of Nations Health Organization in 1919.
In June 1945, during the founding of the United Nations, Brazil and China proposed a separate global health body. In July 1946, 61 countries signed the constitution in New York. The WHO officially came into force on April 7, 1948, with World Health Day now marked on that date, and began work on September 1. Canadian psychiatrist Brock Chisholm was its first director-general.
The organization inherited earlier health functions, including the International Classification of Diseases. Its priorities included malaria, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition, and sanitation. Its biggest early success was eradicating smallpox. The campaign began in 1959, intensified in 1967, and used targeted surveillance with vaccines from several countries. The last natural case appeared in Somalia in 1977, and in 1980, smallpox was declared eradicated.
In 1974, WHO launched the Expanded Program on Immunization and a river blindness program with FAO, UNDP, and the World Bank. In 1988, it helped start the global polio eradication initiative. WHO later adopted the Tobacco Control Convention in 2003 and revised the International Health Regulations in 2005. In 2014, it led the response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. By 2024, its budget was $6.83 billion.
Meaning and History
As part of the United Nations, the World Health Organization adopted the United Nations logo. The developers adapted it to the health service requirements of Earth’s inhabitants. This underscores its UN membership, reflects its global standing, and highlights the conceptual priorities of its work.
The organization’s basic tasks include coordinating health-sector activities, providing specialized assistance to governments, collaborating with other institutions, monitoring health status across nations, assessing overall trends, and combating dangerous diseases.
Moreover, the WHO’s history dates back to ancient times. For example, in 1839, the first international body was formed to deal with anti-epidemic measures to suppress plague and cholera. It was the Constantinople High Council of Health, formed in Turkey. Soon after, similar bodies emerged in Morocco and Egypt (in 1840 and 1846). The first International Sanitary Conference was then held in Paris, attended by 12 countries.
At the beginning of the 19th century, similar organizations already existed in the United States and Europe. In 1923, the League of Nations International Health Organization began work with its headquarters in Geneva. And in 1946, in New York, it was decided to create a new structure on a ready-made basis – the World Health Organization. The participating countries adopted their charter on April 7, 1948, two years later. This date is considered the WHO’s official founding date.
That summer, members held the first management meeting, during which they agreed on assets, approved personnel, assigned responsibilities, and chose an emblem. The organization’s full-fledged work began in 1951. Overall, the service used two logos during its existence.
What is the World Health Organization?
The World Health Organization is an autonomous United Nations agency based in Geneva. It deals with the treatment and prevention of diseases that threaten humanity. WHO creates various programs to improve the population’s health level and to ensure access to quality medical services. Its tasks also include combating epidemics and developing healthcare standards.
1948 – 2006
The key element of the identity is the United Nations emblem, which depicts a schematic globe and underscores the global nature of the WHO mission and its close connection to the parent organization. In addition to the planet on the makeshift 2D disc, the emblem also features a double laurel wreath. It symbolizes the peaceful solution to problems. The center of the mesh circle is a staff with a snake protruding beyond the icon’s top border.
To the right is the full name of the World Health Organization. The phrase “World Health Organization” is written on one line, in title case. All characters are thin, printed, evenly indented, and have serifs. The text with the icon sits on a blue, horizontally stretched rectangle.
2006 – today
The current version is a regrouping of the previous version. It still consists of two parts: the UN logo (a map of the Earth flanked by laurel branches) and the medicine emblem (a snake wrapped around a staff). This combination conveys healthcare’s dominance over the forces of nature. On the right-hand side is the World Health Organization’s name in two lines: at the top, “World Health”; at the bottom, “Organization.” The inscription is set in a sleek, simple grotesque font with tight letter spacing.
Font and Colors
The logo depicts the planet Earth and its background: a staff with a snake crawling upward. These are two legendary symbols of medicine, adopted in the early centuries. A snake’s image dates to the second millennium BC in Ancient Babylon, when this reptile was personified as a symbol of immortality and wisdom.
The second attribute is a knobby stick with a knob. She, too, is associated with healing and came from the eighth century BC. It belongs to the god of healing, Asclepius. Now, a vertical staff with a snake entwined around it is a common emblem of health. Moreover, the World Health Organization’s graphic icon has become a distinctive sign and its official seal.
The debut version of the logo uses a typeface that most closely resembles the Doulos SIL Compact Regular font from SIL International and the FretQwik Regular font, created by designer Robert Allgeyer. The current version includes an inscription set in Acumin Pro Semi Condensed Semi Bold or Bell Centennial Std Name & Number. The only difference is the absence of the upper part of the “t,” cut off at an angle, and an even square above the “i.”
The color scheme comes from the United Nations: blue and white are its official palette. It conveys a double meaning: WHO’s direct relationship to the UN and a bright (peaceful) sky overhead.