Obtaining WHO documentation
Books
Books published by WHO can be:
- Consulted in a WHO local library
- Purchased from WHO. For information on ordering, WHO publications web page. To receive a WHO publications catalogue by mail, send a request with your mailing address to publications@who.int.
Books published before 1980
Books published before 1980 are often out-of-print. These books can no longer be purchased from WHO; they are available only in archival collections in local libraries or in the WHO depository libraries. To find out if a WHO publication is still in print, from the publications web page, click on multilingual list of publications. Also, check the record for the book in the WHO library database; full text links for out-of-print WHO publications are added continuously.
Periodicals
- The Bulletin of the World Health Organization is available full text from 1999 to the present. Contents and abstracts are available from 1996-1998
- The Weekly Epidemiological Record is available full text from 28 June 1996, Vol. 71, No. 26
- The International Digest of Health Legislation is available full text from the year 2000
Ordering information for WHO periodicals can be found on the WHO publications web page.
The WHO library database contains bibliographic records for articles in WHO periodicals and in world-wide periodicals when the article concerns WHO work. The library database will include a full text link to articles in WHO periodicals if it is posted as outlined above.
Earlier issues of these and other WHO periodicals must be consulted in local libraries or photocopies of articles purchased through local document delivery services. The WHO library does not have a service to supply photocopies of articles in WHO periodicals.
Earlier periodical issues
They must be consulted in local libraries or photocopies of articles purchased through local document delivery services. The WHO library does not have a service to supply photocopies of articles in WHO periodicals.
Unpublished technical documents
They are included in the library database. These may be found in the database by author, title or subject. Within the database, clicking on the electronic address found at the bottom of the record will provide the full text PDF file.
Below is an example of a record for an unpublished document:
Reminder: within the database, clicking on the electronic address will make the full-text document appear on the screen.
Press releases and fact sheets
Press materials are available full text on the Media centre web page.
Governing Body administrative documents
The WHO Policy System provides full text of the resolutions, decisions, and documents of the WHO Executive Board and World Health Assembly. Also available are the WHO Programme Budgets, Regional Committee documents, the Basic Documents volume (which contains the WHO constitution, regulations and rules of procedure), the Health for All series (including the Alma Ata Conference Report), and the International Health Regulations.