What Is the WHO Photo Library? Official Health Images Explained
The World Health Organization keeps a photographic record of global public health going back to 1948. What is in it, what you are allowed to do with the images, and how attribution works.
The **WHO Photo Library** is the World Health Organization's official image archive — a visual record of global public health work from 1948 to the present, hosted at the WHO Multimedia Library.
Looking for something else? If you searched "who photo library" meaning *who owns a photo library* or *who can see my photos*, the answer for your phone is: you do, and only apps you have granted access. Jump to how long deleted photos stay recoverable for the practical side.
What is in it
The archive documents the organisation's work and the public health challenges it responds to: vaccination campaigns, disease eradication programmes, emergency response, health workers in the field, laboratory and clinical settings, and the historical record of WHO itself since its founding.
It is a working archive rather than a stock library. The images exist to document, and that shapes both what is in it and what you may do with it.
Licensing, in plain terms
This is the part that catches people out. WHO images are **not** public domain and **not** free stock.
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| **Permitted purposes** | Scientific, educational or journalistic use that promotes public health awareness or furthers WHO's aims |
| **Licence type** | Non-exclusive, granted for a single specified use |
| **Resale** | You may not sell the images separately. You may include one in a product that is sold, such as a book or a film |
| **Copyright** | Remains with WHO. All rights not explicitly granted are retained |
| **Attribution** | Required, in the form © World Health Organization/Photographer, or © WHO/Photographer |
| **Context** | Images must be used with their original caption and in the same context |
That last row deserves emphasis. Using a WHO photograph to illustrate an unrelated point, or recaptioning it, breaches the terms even if you credit it correctly.
How to use an image properly
- 1Find the image in the WHO Multimedia Library and note its caption and photographer credit.
- 2Check your intended use against the permitted purposes. Commercial and promotional use generally is not covered.
- 3Request the licence through the library rather than downloading and using directly.
- 4Reproduce the original caption alongside the image.
- 5Credit exactly as specified: © WHO/Photographer name.
What it is not
- **Not a stock photo site.** It is not an alternative to Unsplash or Getty for a blog header.
- **Not Creative Commons.** Some WHO *publications* are released under Creative Commons licences; the photo library is governed separately.
- **Not unrestricted for news use.** Journalistic use is permitted, but the licence, attribution and context rules still apply.
Similar official archives
If WHO's terms do not fit your use, other institutional archives operate under different rules — national libraries, government agencies and museum collections each publish their own terms, and some release material into the public domain outright. Always read the specific terms rather than assuming an institutional source means free use.
Common questions
The World Health Organization's official image archive, documenting global public health work from 1948 to the present through the WHO Multimedia Library.
Not freely. They may be used for scientific, educational or journalistic purposes under a non-exclusive, single-use licence, with required attribution. They are not public domain.
As © World Health Organization/Photographer, or © WHO/Photographer, reproduced alongside the image's original caption.
Generally not. You may not sell the images separately, though an image may appear in a product that is sold, such as a book or film, if the use is licensed.
