Egypt’s deputy minister of health for preventive medicine and public health, Amr Kandil, has been awarded the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2026, becoming the first Egyptian to receive the honor, the Ministry of Health and Population announced on Sunday, 8 February.
The award, granted by the executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO), recognizes Kandil’s contributions over more than 25 years to public health in Egypt and the wider region. He is scheduled to receive the prize in May 2026 during the plenary session of the 79th World Health Assembly, in the presence of the WHO director general and a representative of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Established in 2019 to mark the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth, the award is presented annually to individuals whose work has had a measurable impact on improving community health.
According to the ministry, Kandil has played a leading role in advancing Egypt’s preventive health system. His work has included overseeing efforts that led to WHO certifications declaring Egypt free of polio, measles, rubella, and trachoma, as well as the elimination of malaria, making it the first African country to achieve that status. Kandil also contributed to controlling hepatitis B among children, another regional first in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The ministry cited additional achievements under his leadership, including improvements in infection control and antimicrobial resistance programs, the international accreditation of five hospitals, and expanded digital systems for vaccinations, birth and death registration, disease surveillance, and quarantine services. He was also involved in the accreditation of 129 primary health care units and the implementation of state-funded treatment programs in 100 health facilities.
Egyptian officials described the award as a recognition of sustained investment in preventive care and public health infrastructure, as well as an acknowledgment of Egypt’s growing role in regional health initiatives.
The WHO Executive Board selects a few recipients each year for the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion, honoring long-term impact, leadership, and efforts to expand access to care and reduce inequalities. Past winners include public health officials and researchers behind major disease, maternal, and community health initiatives, reflecting Mandela’s legacy of social justice and the right to health.
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