Reaching the Holy Grail of Public Health

On our way to visit a nephew and his wife in Lyon, France, we made a 24-hour stop in Geneva. We took a high speed train from Paris to Geneva and we were in the first class car which allowed us a more comfortable 3-hour ride.  The train attendants served us a light breakfast of croissants and tea/coffee. It was a smooth and pleasant ride across the French countryside. 

Being in Geneva gave me an opportunity I had only silently wished for...to visit the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva. I lecture about the WHO and their work. I've championed the monument outside of the WHO that commemorates the eradication of smallpox. But I've never been to the facility and never thought I would have the opportunity to do so. The WHO sets worldwide standards, research, and services around a multitude of public health issues. It was an immense honor to see the facility and grounds.

Exiting the bus I saw the street sign leading me to the public health holy grail. OMS is the abbreviation of the French acronym L'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé. 

Fair warning that the WHO grounds are for authorized people and vehicles only. 

A cigarette package on the ground outside the WHO.

Smoke-free campus sign just a few feet from the abandoned cigarette package. I wonder if someone got scared and just abandoned the package!

The WHO logo outside of the building. 

View as I walked towards the building. 

"...the attainment for all peoples of the highest possible level of health" 

Outside of the front of the WHO.

Front doors to the WHO. The security guards wouldn't allow us to take pictures inside. But we were able to walk around the lobby and view some of the displays outlining current projects such as the Healthy Caribbean Coalition which is working to address disparities in access to chronic disease care for women living in the Caribbean.  

Me at the WHO!!!!

I had tears in my eyes as I approached this monument. I couldn't believe I was really in front of it. 

Monument to commemorate the eradication of smallpox. 

Monument highlighting work towards ending river blindness so that no one else has to be led around due to blindness from a water-based parasitic disease. 

 

I loved every brief moment I had at the WHO.

We also had the chance to visit two other exciting places: the United Nations and the Red Cross Museum!

The United Nations office in Geneva. The main headquarters is in New York. 

Me outside of the United Nations!!

The Allée des Nations featuring the flags of the UN member nations. 

Peering through the gates. The UN conducts tours for the public but they ended the tours for 2015 a week before our arrival. Darn!

The Broken Chair sculpture 

Sign on the street for the Red Cross Museum

The Petrified Ones outside of the museum...a little too Weeping Angels for me. 

Me at the Red Cross Museum but we arrived at almost closing so we didn't have a chance to explore beyond the gift shop. 

Red Cross Museum gift shop items. 

Really yummy rotisserie chicken, pasta, and haricot verts at a Geneva restaurant.

The Geneva public transportation system is sophisticated and plentiful. The tram took us directly from the high speed train station to directly in front our hotel. 

Next stop, Lyon, France!