WHO was the first UN agency to establish a country programme and an office in Maldives. WHO’s role as the longest standing partner in national health development is well recognized. WHO collaboration in Maldives has embraced a broad-based approach for meeting the country’s national health development needs. Incorporating the basic concepts of the National Development Plans and the Health Master Plan, addressing equity concerns as well as specific health problems and integrating health and human development concerns into public policies, the WHO collaborative programmes have focused and supported sustainable development of national health programmes.