WHO Goodwill Ambassador
A celebrity advocate of the World Health Organization mission
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WHO Goodwill Ambassador is an official honorary title that is granted 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 they use their talent and fame to advocate for global health and well-being.[1]
Current ambassadors
As of March 2025[update], the current goodwill ambassadors (and the year of their appointment) include the following:[1]
| Name | Country | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon Brown |  United Kingdom | 2021 | Politician. Goodwill Ambassador for Global Health Financing.[2] |
| Peng Liyuan |  China | 2011 | Vocal artist. Goodwill Ambassador for Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.[3] |
| Yohei Sasakawa |  Japan | 2001 | Chairman, Nippon Foundation. Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination. |
Former ambassadors
The former goodwill ambassadors (and the year of their appointment) include the following:[4]
| Name | Country | Year(s) | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amitabh Bachchan |  India | 2017 | Goodwill Ambassador for Awareness of Hepatitis.[5] |
| Christine Kaseba-Sata |  Zambia | 2012–2014 | Doctor. Goodwill Ambassador Against Gender-based Violence.[6] |
| Craig David | United Kingdom | 2010 | Singer. Goodwill Ambassador for the Stop TB Partnership. |
| Jet Li | China | 2009–2014 | International film star. Goodwill Ambassador.[7] |
| Nancy Brinker |  United States | 2009 | Founder, Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control.[8] |
| Liya Kebede |  Ethiopia | 2005 | Goodwill Ambassador. |
| Sylvie Vartan |  Bulgaria | 2005 | Goodwill Ambassador. |
| Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra |  Austria | 2005 | Goodwill Ambassador. |
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 in Africa. The appointment address praised Mugabe for his commitment to public health in Zimbabwe. The appointment 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.[9][10]