WHO revokes Mugabe's appointment as Goodwill Ambassador
The WHO had on Wednesday announced that Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe since 1987, would become one of its Goodwill Ambassadors, a decision that was met with a wave of criticism from across the globe.
"I have decided to rescind the appointment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement, adding: "I have listened carefully to all who have expressed their concerns, and heard the different issues that they have raised."
Mugabe was named an ambassador for noncommunicable diseases in Africa with the aim of influencing the region to prioritize research and treatments for them, said Tedros at the time of the announcement.
But criticism came fast from countries like the United Kingdom and Canada, key donors for the WHO's programs, and from NGOs linked to human rights and health.
"I thank everyone who has voiced their concerns and shared their thoughts," said Tedros in his statement, adding that he aimed to " to build a worldwide movement for global health" that had to "work for everyone and include everyone."
Without giving an explanation as to why he had named the president of Zimbabwe, a country where political freedoms are limited, the WHO director-general insisted that it was important to build bridges between people in order to achieve universal health.
Human Rights Watch said Mugabe's corruption had decimated Zimbabwe's healthcare system and that the president himself only sought medical care abroad.
The NGO also accused his government of violating the rights to food, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, as well as repressing the opposition and any political activism it did not favor.