Vantaggi
This bird's eye view of the international public health community is unbeatable. If you are a researcher, there are data and access to information that give staff the opportunity to do great things. While WHO has lost most of its funding to big conglomerate propjects such as GAVI and the Global Fund, the willingness of the staff to continue the efforts is unfailing. There is intense talent, dedication and a large cadre of unsung heroes within the walls of this agency.
Svantaggi
As amazing as the technical talent is, equally astonishing is the lack of understanding of basic business management principles. Intense conduct problems, nepotism and failures to have modern HR and financial management run unchecked and consume enormous amounts of time and energy. The budget situation is so severe that chairs and desks have not been replaced since the 80's. While we fly people to Geneva for expensive expert meetings, staff are even left to bring their own office supplies, computer cables and the like. I have not seen a stapler in months, and if you visit, please bring us yellow sticky notes! We ran out 5 years ago and have not been able to replenish the stock!