Dr Vanessa Kerry appointed to new role as WHO Director-General’s Special Envoy for Health Resilience

The World Health Organization has appointed Dr Vanessa Kerry as the WHO Director-General’s Special Envoy for Health Resilience. Building on her previous role as WHO’s first Director-General Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health, Dr Kerry will help advance a broader agenda focused on building resilient, integrated and sustainably-financed health systems capable of responding to day-to-day challenges and emerging threats from climate change, health emergencies and other complex global challenges.

In her new role, Dr Kerry will engage with governments, development partners, multilateral institutions, civil society and the private sector to advocate for stronger health systems, more sustainable financing approaches, and stronger coordination and alignment of partners and resources behind national priorities.

“This appointment reflects the natural evolution of Dr Kerry’s work with WHO,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Her leadership in elevating climate change as a critical health issue has helped build momentum for stronger and more resilient health systems. As Special Envoy for Health Resilience, Dr Kerry will help advance WHO’s efforts to ensure countries have the financing, partnerships and integrated approaches needed to withstand current and future challenges.”

As Special Envoy, Dr Kerry will raise awareness of the importance of investing in integrated health systems and strengthening sustainable financing for universal health coverage, including through domestic resource mobilization, provide high-level advocacy with global, regional and national decision-makers, support resource mobilization, and offer strategic advice to WHO leadership.

The role will place particular emphasis on climate-resilient health systems, building on her previous role as Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health. It will champion the requisite investments, including in health workers, and sustainable, country-led approaches to health financing, and promote stronger coordination and alignment across global health actors behind national priorities. This will include supporting the transition from fragmented approaches towards more coherent, country-led health systems within an evolving global health architecture.

“I am honoured to continue my partnership with WHO in this new capacity,” said Dr Kerry. “Resilience is not a singular program – it’s the foundation a health system needs to function every day, and to hold when the pressure comes, whether that’s the slow strain of a changing climate or the sudden shock of a funding cut or a pandemic. You can’t build that foundation crisis by crisis. It must be built over time – by investing in the necessary workforce, financing and infrastructure, owned and sustained by a country for itself. I look forward to working with WHO and partners towards this shared mission.”

The appointment underscores WHO’s commitment to supporting countries in building resilient health systems that can deliver better health outcomes, advance universal health coverage and respond effectively to an increasingly complex risk landscape.