WHO Goodwill Ambassador is an official postnominal honorific title, title of authority, legal status and job description assigned to those goodwill ambassadors and advocates who are designated by the United Nations. WHO goodwill ambassadors are celebrity advocates of the World Health Organization (WHO) and use their talent and fame to advocate for health and well-being.
Current WHO goodwill ambassadors
Current goodwill ambassadors, and the year they were appointed:
Cancellation of status
On 21 October 2017 the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appointed Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe as a WHO goodwill ambassador to help tackle non-communicable diseases for Africa. The appointment address praised Mugabe for his commitment to public health in Zimbabwe. The naming attracted widespread condemnation in WHO member states and international organisations due to Mugabe's poor record on human rights and presiding over a decline in Zimbabwe's public health. Following widespread criticism, Tedros Adhanom was forced to withdraw the appointment (cancel the title) the next day.