Dr. David Nabarro, an award-winning global health veteran who worked for decades to tackle some of the biggest challenges confronting global health, died on Friday in his home at the age of 75.
His long-standing career gave him front seats to some of the world’s biggest crises. He was appointed by the United Nations’ top diplomats to lead the body’s handling of the cholera epidemic in Haïti, coordinated the U.N. response to the global threat of avian flu and the world’s largest Ebola outbreak, and served as special envoy of the World Health Organization director-general on COVID-19.
“His career spanned war zones and boardrooms, epidemics and bureaucracies. Whether responding to Ebola, cholera, or COVID-19, David brought clarity where there was confusion, and humanity where there was despair,” Paul Polman, business leader and campaigner, wrote in a tribute.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
