The Lancet  
Feb 02, 2013  Volume 381  Number 9864  p347 – 422  e4 – 5
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Public Health
WHO and the future of disease control programmes
Christopher Dye, Thierry Mertens, Gottfried Hirnschall, Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho, Robert D Newman, Mario C Raviglione, Lorenzo Savioli, Hiroki Nakatani

Summary
Huge increases in funding for international health over the past two decades have led to a proliferation of donors, partnerships, and health organisations. Over the same period, the global burden of non-communicable diseases has increased absolutely and relative to communicable diseases. In this changing landscape, national programmes for the control of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases must be reinforced and adapted for three reasons: the global burden of these communicable diseases remains enormous, disease control programmes have an integral and supporting role in developing health systems, and the health benefits of these control programmes go beyond the containment of specific infections. WHO’s traditional role in promoting communicable disease control programmes must also adapt to new circumstances. Among a multiplicity of actors, WHO’s task is to enhance its normative role as convenor, coordinator, monitor, and standard-setter, fostering greater coherence in global health.