The president of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe on Sunday was removed from the role of a goodwill ambassador for the World Health Organization (WHO) after his appointment last week.
Mr. Mugabe’s appointment was revoked after series of criticisms from donors and rights groups.
The Director-General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had announced Mr. Mugabe’s appointment at a high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Uruguay on Wednesday.
Tedros who is a former Ethiopian health and foreign minister praised Zimbabwe as “a country that places universal health coverage and health promotion at the centre of its policies to provide health care to all”.
President Mugabe, 93 attended the meeting in Uruguay but has been blamed for the struggling economy of Zimbabwe and abusing human rights of his citizens.
But after the series of criticisms, Mr. Tedros said in a statement that “Over the last few days, I have reflected on my appointment of H.E. President Robert Mugabe as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for NCDs in Africa. As a result I have decided to rescind the appointment,”
“I thank everyone who has voiced their concerns and shared their thoughts. I depend on constructive debate to help and inform the work I have been elected to do,” Tedro further said in his statement.
Source: Africafeeds.com
