Introduction
Financial support and budget mechanisms in the sphere of healthcare organizations is a significant topic that should not be underestimated as it directly affects the life of people. It is possible to examine the level of country development, taking into consideration the accessibility of medical services. The governments of democratic states pay specific attention to the social needs of the citizens. The availability of drugs, equipment, and specialists is crucial for the functioning of the healthcare system (Nowicki, 2018). The World Health Organization (WHO) is one of the most important companies that controls the overall situation concerning the medical sphere. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the particularities of the organization’s functioning and examine the characteristics of its financial system.
Company Background
The WHO is an organization established in 1948 as one of the departments of the United Nations. Its primary goal is to observe healthcare situations in diverse countries and provide support to the states that are facing problems with medical care. What is more, the company has many different charity programs for third-world countries in Africa. Their aim is to improve the quality of provided care by the transportation of the new equipment and professional treatment from the doctors from more developed states. The main office is situated in Geneva; however, its decisions strongly affect the global medical system. It is necessary to point out several important aspects of the WHO’s responsibilities. Among them is the control of the ecological situation in diverse regions, care about mothers’ and children’s living conditions, and educational programs for the professionals in this sphere. What is more, taking into consideration the current situation with the pandemic of COVID-19, it should be noticed that the WHO sponsors medical and biological researches in many different countries.
Budgetary limitations do not allow the leaders of the company to help everyone in many states. There are actors, musicians, and other representatives of creative and famous people who help the WHO solve the problems by becoming Goodwill Ambassadors. Some of them prefer to provide financial aid; others travel to African or Asian countries in order to communicate with patients and support them. The WHO is a company that plays both the role of controlling structure and particular healthcare institution.
Products – Services Provided
The activity of the WHO is concentrated on controlling the current situation in the sphere of healthcare institutions and providing financial or immaterial supplies. In this case, it is hard to examine the particular products or services produced by the company. Nevertheless, it can be observed that free educational courses and programs for healthcare workers from third-world countries are one of the most well-known services organized by WHO. Moreover, the organization finances the researches and laboratories all over the world for the aim of implementing better technological solutions for hospitals. Taking into consideration the era of the pandemic, it is crucial to mention that the WHO provides financial aid to several institutions in diverse states in order to find the vaccine. It helps humanity overcome this challenging time without significant losses. According to the document published on the official website of the company, it is possible to conclude that a noticeable part of the budget was redeployed to the fight against the virus.
Market and Legal Structure
The WHO is a multinational specialized organization; the reports concerning its efficiency, budget, results of researches are officially published on the website of the corporation. The document about financial operations contains information about cash flows, salaries, and expenditures (World Health Organization [WHO], 2019). The data is available to everyone and includes a detailed report about the monetary transactions. For example, the document contains the table about staff receivables concerning education, rental, and travel advances (Appendix B). It is important to notice that the revenue is mostly generated from the fees for services (Appendix A). The table of cash flows illustrates that long-term investments lead to additional costs during 2019 (Appendix C). However, it may be a financial strategy for the organization.
Competitive Position
The WHO is a global organization that is supported by 194 countries; that is why it does not have any competitors in the usual sense. What is more, the purpose of the company is not to be profitable but to allocate the sources in a more efficient way. The corporation is not private and does not produce any specific goods. It functions as a governmental instrument of control and support. The WHO has a unique role on the world stage that does not allow to compare it to other pharmaceutical or healthcare institutions.
Conclusion
The analysis of historical aspects, management systems, and primary goals of the company gives an understanding of the functioning of the organization. Financial resources are allocated in a fair way and allow people from third-world countries to have access to high-qualified medicine and professional equipment. The funding of the WHO is provided by the governments of diverse states and private funds. It is essential to mention that the WHO is not a profitable corporation; it plays the role of supervisory authority and charity institution. It helps not only to improve the existing healthcare system but also to provide better medical care in the future by organizing educational courses and funding the private laboratories.
References
Nowicki, M. (2018). Introduction to the financial management of healthcare organizations. Health Administration Press.
World Health Organization. (2019). Audited Financial Statements. Web.
Appendix A
Financial Statement – 1
Appendix B
Financial Statement – 2
Appendix C
Financial Statement – 3
