[ use of Arabic in the World Health Organization. Part one]

The course of Arabic in WHO began in September 1954 when the Regional Subcommittee "A" requested the Regional Director to study the possibility of using Arabic as a working language for WHO in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. At WHO Headquarters, Arabic was used as an official language in the World Health Assembly in May 1972, and became a working language for the Organization in May 1975. This article reviews the progression of the use of Arabic in WHO since then