League of Nations Health Organization: The Forgotten Pioneer of Global Public Health

The League of Nations Health Organization (LNHO) was the world's first truly international body dedicated to fighting disease across borders, operating from 1923 to 1946. Though overshadowed by the League's political failures, it pioneered epidemic surveillance, international health statistics, and technical cooperation. Its staff, methods, and mission were absorbed directly into the World Health Organization, making it the direct ancestor of today's global health system.