Established in 1948 by the United Nations as its special agency for health, WHO’s self-defined goal is “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.” Health being defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Headquartered in Geneva, WHO and its unmistakably medical, binary-branched white globe on blue background have become, if not household, then government-office-hold, symbols of authority in global health.

Serenity established, the site doesn’t waste any time getting down to business. This site is primarily information-based, and WHO makes sure that all of its information is accessible and well ordered.

Prominent on the home page, up top to the right of the logo, is the logical embarkation point of any wired hypochondriac’s information hunt: Links to English, Español and Français and a search option.

Moving down the page one will immediately find an efficient inventory of, and links to, all of the global hot-button issues of the day -- yellow fever in Sudan; cholera in South Africa; earthquakes in Algeria; SARS everywhere. This up-to-the-minute information is probably what a good number of WHO visitors are looking for. The organization doesn’t disappoint and wisely features the urgent stuff prominently and with little fanfare. (In fact, throughout the website’s main directories -- Countries, Health Topics, Publications, Research Tools, WHO Sites -- the fast links to the Disease Outbreaks and Emergencies sections remain displayed clearly.)