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The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on April 7, 1948, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and responsible for international public health. It leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage, directs and coordinates health within the UN system, and has overseen landmark achievements such as the eradication of smallpox, the near-elimination of polio, and coordinating responses to pandemics including COVID-19. WHO is best known for setting global health standards, publishing authoritative health guidelines, and mobilizing international responses to health emergencies affecting millions of people worldwide.