Although it has been mentioned since the declaration of Kosovo's independence, our country's application for membership in the World Health Organization (WHO) was never made. Finally, the current government had promised that Kosovo would become a member of the WHO, but this did not happen. Because of this, patients in our country are denied many rights and benefits. 

The opposition estimates that no step has been taken by the Kurti government in this direction. Meanwhile, the institutions say that the goal remains Kosovo's membership in international organizations, while adding that they are examining the possibilities for application at an appropriate moment according to them. 

The deputy from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Bekim Haxhiu, in a statement for KosovaPress, while criticizing the Kurti government for failing to keep its promises, points out that membership in the WHO would bring many benefits to patients. 

According to him, the government has not taken any steps to advance the process towards membership. 

Likewise, the deputy from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Shemsedin Dreshaj, says that there have been major failures in the membership of European organizations. According to him, it is illusory to expect that under these conditions Kosovo will become part of the WHO. 

Dreshaj said that membership in this organization has several benefits for our country, he mentioned the supply of drugs and vaccines. 

Meanwhile, from the Ministry of Health in a written response to KosovaPress they say that together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora they have analyzed the legal basis of WHO and the possibility of application to find a suitable momentum. 

According to them, the goal remains Kosovo's membership in international organizations. 

"The Republic of Kosovo aims for membership in international organizations, including the WHO. The Ministry of Health, with its agencies, in the first place with the IKShPK, has a comprehensive governmental and multisectoral approach to building the legal infrastructure and capacities according to the standards of the WHO, ECDC, CDC and other international organizations. Efforts are made to ensure that all of these are in line with WHO standards where possible. Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have analyzed the legal basis of the WHO and the possibility of applying to this United Nations agency, as well as the course of events in this organization to find a suitable momentum", they say from the MOH for KosovaPress. 

WHO consists of 194 member states. Although Kosovo is not a member of the United Nations (UN), it can apply to the specialized agencies of the United Nations, as happened with UNESCO in 2015. In Article 3 of the WHO Constitution, it is written that "Membership in the organization will be open to all countries." Meanwhile, Article 196 of the WHO Constitution states that "Subject to the terms of any agreement between the United Nations and the Organization, adopted in accordance with Chapter XVI, States that do not become Members in accordance with Articles 4 and 5 may apply to become Members and will be accepted as Members when their application is approved by a simple majority vote of the Health Assembly.

Despite the fact that Kosovo is not a member of the World Health Organization, its office in Kosovo has been present since 1998.

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