Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion

The Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion is a prestigious international recognition presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) to honour individuals, institutions, and organisations that have made exceptional contributions to the field of health promotion. The award embodies the ideals of Nelson Mandela—human dignity, equality, social justice, and compassion—and aims to advance the global agenda for health and well-being for all.

Background and Establishment

The award was established in 2019 to commemorate the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth and to celebrate his lifelong commitment to humanity and community welfare. Initiated by the Ministers of Health of WHO’s African Region, it reflects Mandela’s vision that health is a fundamental human right and that promoting health requires social transformation and collective responsibility.
Health promotion, in this context, refers to the process of enabling individuals and communities to increase control over their health and improve their quality of life. The Nelson Mandela Award seeks to recognise extraordinary achievements in this domain—efforts that transcend routine duties and create sustainable change in public health.

Objectives of the Award

The Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion aims to:

• Honour exemplary leadership and innovation in the field of health promotion.
• Encourage creative and community-centred approaches to improving health outcomes.
• Recognise the importance of equity, human rights, and social justice in achieving health for all.
• Highlight the role of health promotion in achieving universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Eligibility and Nomination Process

The award is open to individuals, institutions, and governmental or non-governmental organisations that have demonstrated outstanding impact in the promotion of health at local, national, or global levels.
Nominations can be made by Member States of WHO or by former recipients of the award. The submission must include a comprehensive statement outlining the nominee’s contribution and how it aligns with the values and objectives of health promotion. Current or former WHO staff members and sitting members of the WHO Executive Board are not eligible.
A selection committee reviews all nominations, assessing them based on their innovation, sustainability, and measurable impact on public health. Recommendations are then forwarded to the WHO Executive Board, which finalises the selection. The award is formally presented at the World Health Assembly, in the presence of global health leaders and representatives of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Nature of the Award

The Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion consists of a plaque of recognition symbolising the humility and humanitarian legacy of Nelson Mandela. The award carries immense moral and professional prestige, honouring the recipient’s contribution to the global health community. It serves not merely as a form of recognition but as an inspiration for others to integrate the principles of compassion, equality, and empowerment into public health initiatives.

Areas of Recognition

The award highlights contributions across diverse aspects of health promotion, including:

• Development of health-promoting environments and policies.
• Initiatives addressing social and environmental determinants of health.
• Innovative community-based health programmes.
• Advocacy for mental health, tobacco control, or environmental sustainability.
• Actions that reduce health inequities and empower vulnerable populations.
• Integration of health promotion within broader public health systems.

Notable Laureates

Since its establishment, the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion has honoured several individuals and institutions that have demonstrated excellence in advancing public health.

• In 2024, the award was jointly presented to:
  • National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India, for its pioneering work in community mental health, digital training, and rights-based approaches to mental health care.
  • Professor Bontle Mbongwe of Botswana, for her leadership in tobacco control and environmental health, and for promoting legislative reforms to protect public health.
• In 2025, the award recognised Dr Majed Zemni of Tunisia for his significant contributions to health promotion and his lifelong dedication to improving population health.

These recipients exemplify the award’s mission—combining scientific excellence, policy advocacy, and humanitarian spirit to transform health outcomes.

Importance and Impact

The Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion carries substantial symbolic and practical importance in the global health landscape. By aligning with Mandela’s principles of justice and equality, it underscores the idea that health is inseparable from human rights.
Its key impacts include:

• Recognition of innovation: It acknowledges novel and effective health promotion models that can be adapted globally.
• Encouragement of leadership: It motivates public health professionals, policymakers, and institutions to pursue transformative approaches.
• Strengthening of health systems: It reinforces WHO’s emphasis on preventive health and community participation.
• Promotion of equity: It draws attention to the need to address disparities in access to healthcare and information.

For countries such as India, receiving the award demonstrates international recognition of efforts in mental health promotion, digital health, and community outreach, thereby inspiring similar models across regions.

Broader Relevance to Global Health

The Nelson Mandela Award reinforces the principle that health promotion is not limited to disease prevention but extends to empowerment, policy development, and social justice. It reminds governments and health institutions that improving health requires collaboration across multiple sectors—education, environment, housing, and governance.
The award also complements WHO’s global strategies on health equity, sustainable development, and universal health coverage. It celebrates those who go beyond clinical care, shaping environments that enable individuals to lead healthier lives.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite its global prestige, the award’s symbolic nature means that its impact depends on continued policy and financial support for health promotion initiatives. Smaller community organisations often face challenges in competing with larger institutions for recognition. Therefore, WHO and its partners are encouraged to promote inclusive nominations that reflect the diversity of contributions to global health.
Nevertheless, the award remains a vital mechanism for inspiring progress. It provides moral recognition to those who dedicate their careers to improving health systems, influencing policy, and empowering communities—often in challenging contexts.

Significance of Nelson Mandela’s Legacy in Health Promotion

Nelson Mandela’s life embodied the idea that justice, equality, and human dignity are fundamental to well-being. His leadership in overcoming oppression and promoting reconciliation serves as a moral compass for global health efforts. By naming this award after him, WHO acknowledges that health is not just a medical condition but a societal goal rooted in fairness, empowerment, and collective responsibility.
Through this recognition, WHO and the international community affirm that promoting health means building societies where every person can live with dignity, access care, and participate fully in the development of their communities.