Former UK Prime Minister Brown appointed WHO ambassador

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday announced the appointment of Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, hailed Brown as a champion for galvanizing the world’s major economies to protect health and prevent future disease outbreaks.

"I am delighted and honored 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," he said.

Brown, who served as Prime Minister of the UK from 2007 to 2010, said: "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," adding " 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."