The WHO Foundation has announced the appointment of Mrs Toyin Ojora Saraki as its first-ever Ambassador for Global Health.
Mrs Saraki is a highly esteemed global advocate with decades of work dedicated to women’s and children’s health and empowerment, ending gender-based violence, and improving lives in sub-Saharan Africa.
In a statement announcing Saraki’s appointment on Wednesday, Chief executive officer, WHO Foundation, Anil Soni, applauded Mrs Saraki’s tireless commitment to improving global health through her advocacy work.
Soni said: “I am deeply honoured to have Toyin serve the WHO Foundation as our first Ambassador for Global Health. Her energy and deep commitment to educating, advocating and fundraising on behalf of WHOF’s mission will make a critical difference to global health initiatives. Her Ambassadorship will enable us to power the vital work of WHO through the Triple Billion goals for a fairer and more equitable world.”
Reacting to the appointment, Mrs Saraki, who is the wife of the immediate-past Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said: “I am delighted to become the inaugural WHO Foundation Ambassador for Global Health. The WHO Foundation is a force for good in the global health ecosystem and is driving catalytic change to overcome today’s most pressing global health challenges. I look forward to working with the Foundation to propel one of the world’s most influential global health initiatives forward.”
As Founder-President of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), Mrs Toyin Saraki is an advocate for women’s and children’s health and empowerment, with two decades of advocacy covering reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health; ending gender-based discrimination and violence; and improving education, socio-economic empowerment, and community livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa.
She leads Nigeria CSO’s Primary Health Care Revitalisation Support Coalition, served as the Inaugural Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) 2014-2020, is a Johns Hopkins Women Advocates For Vaccine Access Champion, and is
Special Adviser to the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) of the World Health Organisation’s
(WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO).
She was named by Devex as Universal Health Coverage Global Champion, Save the Children Newborn Health Champion for Nigeria; and is a Global
Champion for the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood.
WHO Foundation was established in 2020 as an independent entity, which complements and strengthens the work of WHO and its global network of partners by mobilising new funding
from diverse sources—including philanthropists, corporate entities, and the public—to drive innovation and transform the global health ecosystem.
