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COVID-19 special envoy David Nabarro dies at 75
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 26, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Tags:innovation
Quick Summary
David Nabarro, WHO's COVID-19 envoy, has passed away at 75. He was a global health advocate and co-director at Imperial College London.
COVID-19 special envoy David Nabarro dies at 75
By Harshita Meenaktshi
(Reuters) -David Nabarro, the World Health Organization's special envoy for COVID-19 since the early stages of the outbreak in 2020, has died at the age of 75, the WHO said on Saturday.
"David was a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals," World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said of the Briton in a post on X.
Nabarro was also co-director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College in London.
At the height of the pandemic in 2021 Nabarro called for more global cooperation and aid to poorer countries during a health crisis he said was "nothing like anything else we've ever seen in my professional life".
In 2017, he was a candidate for WHO director general, finishing second to Tedros in the election.
(Reporting by Harshita Meenaktshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Key Takeaways
- •David Nabarro, WHO's COVID-19 envoy, has died at 75.
- •Nabarro was a global health champion and mentor.
- •He served as co-director at Imperial College London.
- •Called for global cooperation during the pandemic.
- •Ran for WHO director general in 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 special envoy David Nabarro dies at 75
1What position did David Nabarro hold at the WHO?
David Nabarro was the World Health Organization's special envoy for COVID-19 since the early stages of the outbreak in 2020.
2What did Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus say about Nabarro?
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described Nabarro as a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to many.
3What was Nabarro's role at Imperial College?
Nabarro was co-director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College in London.
4What did Nabarro advocate for during the pandemic?
During the pandemic in 2021, Nabarro called for more global cooperation and aid to poorer countries, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of the health crisis.
5What notable election did Nabarro participate in?
In 2017, David Nabarro was a candidate for WHO director general, finishing second to Tedros in the election.
