Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · May 18
WHO Honors 4 Global Health Leaders at 79th Assembly
Updated
Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · May 18
WHO Honors 4 Global Health Leaders at 79th Assembly
2 articles · Updated · World Health Organization (WHO) · May 18
Four laureates—Tore Godal, Merceline Dahl-Regis, Mike Ryan and Heba Elsewedy—received the WHO Director-General’s Award for Global Health at the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly in Geneva.
WHO said the awards recognize lifetime achievements that delivered measurable health gains, from vaccine expansion and disease elimination to emergency response and humanitarian care.
Godal was cited for helping build Gavi, Roll Back Malaria and CEPI; Dahl-Regis for advancing immunization and helping the Americas eliminate measles and rubella.
Ryan was honored for shaping outbreak response systems including GOARN and leading WHO emergency operations during SARS, Ebola, polio and COVID-19, while Elsewedy was recognized for burn care and Gaza-related humanitarian aid through the Ahl Masr Foundation.
Established in 2019, the awards were presented under this year’s assembly theme, “Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility,” underscoring WHO’s push for broad, collaborative health leadership.
Dr. Dahl-Regis united a continent against measles. Can her playbook break the current deadlock on the global pandemic agreement?
As WHO honors a disease elimination hero, are falling budgets setting the stage for the return of eradicated plagues?
Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis and the Elimination of Measles and Rubella in the Americas: Lessons from a Global Health Leader Honored at WHA79
Overview
In May 2026, Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis was honored with the WHO Director-General’s Global Health Leaders Award, presented by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. This award recognized her outstanding lifetime contributions to global health, especially her profound impact in the Caribbean and worldwide. Dr. Dahl-Regis’s career stands out for her commitment to rigorous science and strong community engagement, which advanced equitable access to prevention and care. Her leadership and dedication have inspired public health professionals and helped achieve major milestones, such as the elimination of measles and rubella in the Americas.