World Health Organization Collaborating Centre

World Health Organization Collaborating Centres are institutions such as research institutes, parts of universities or academies from "over 700 institutions in 80 countries" that work with WHO in disciplines such as occupational health, food safety, and communicable disease prevention. The participating institutions partner with WHO to perform research, provide training, or offer other services in furthering the WHO health agenda. These partners are designated by the WHO director-general as a part of a collaborative network. By using networks of established organizations, WHO is able to strengthen the scientific validity of its work and lower the costs of research.

The World Health Organization has established networks related to a variety of health topics. For example, WHO has put in place centres focused on organ transplants, hearing loss prevention, hepatitis, leprosy, ethics, and maternal health. To move the work forward, WHO has numerous designated centres in each inhabited continent. The network of centres for reference and research on influenza draws upon resources from Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The network of WHO collaborating centres in occupational health is chaired by Dr. John Howard, director of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and contains more than 60 designated organizations from across the globe.

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