WHO appoints former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown as Health financing Ambassador
Geneva : Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been appointed World Health Organization (WHO) Ambassador for Global Health Financing and is expected to get the world’s wealthiest nations to work on preventing future major disease outbreaks.
“I am delighted and honoured that Gordon Brown has agreed to serve as WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing. In this role, he will elevate and support WHO’s work to raise awareness internationally on the great need for sustained global health financing, particularly from G20 and G7 countries. As a longtime friend of Gordon’s, I know that he will bring his sharp intellect, firm commitment and deep sense of justice to this Ambassadorship,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a Sunday statement.
According to the release, Ghebreyesus recognizes Brown as “a leader who can shape and drive a future of robust, equitable investment in global public health.”
The WHO said on Sunday that Brown has repeatedly called on the world’s major economies to ensure the equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines, and to concentrate on a global effort to end the pandemic.
Commenting on his appointment, Brown said as quoted in the WHO release that he considers financing COVID-19 vaccination campaigns across the world as top priority, as well as protecting the poorest countries from the effects of the pandemic.
“I have a tremendous personal regard for Dr Tedros with whom I first worked two decades ago, and I am delighted to be able to help his and WHO’s work raising global finance to ensure everyone has access to health. Our immediate task is to work together to finance the vaccination of the whole world and protect the poorest countries from the terrible effects of COVID-19 and other diseases,” Brown said.
Gordon Brown served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010, and as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 to 2007.
