February 8 — Cairo: Dr. Amr Kandeel, Egypt’s Deputy Minister of Health for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, has been awarded the 2026 Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Health on Sunday.
The ministry stated that Kandeel received the honor in recognition of his more than 25 years of contributions to public health both in Egypt and across the region. The award was granted following a decision by the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion was established by the WHO in 2019 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth. Mandela, the South African leader known for his fight against apartheid, dedicated his life to promoting equality, justice, and human rights. The award is presented annually to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional efforts and measurable impact in advancing public health.
Dr. Kandeel is the first Egyptian to receive this prestigious recognition. He is expected to officially accept the award in May 2026 during the World Health Assembly.
Throughout his career, Kandeel has led significant public health achievements. Under his leadership, Egypt’s preventive medicine system earned WHO certification for eliminating polio, measles, rubella, trachoma, and malaria, making Egypt the first country in Africa to accomplish this milestone.
He also supervised efforts that successfully controlled hepatitis B among children, marking the first time such progress was achieved within the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.
In addition, Kandeel directed major improvements in infection prevention and antimicrobial resistance programs, with five hospitals obtaining international accreditation as a result of these efforts.
He also played a central role in modernizing Egypt’s healthcare infrastructure through the digital transformation of vaccination programs, civil registration systems for births and deaths, epidemiological monitoring, and quarantine procedures.
During his tenure, 129 primary healthcare centers achieved official accreditation, and government-funded treatment services were expanded to cover 100 health units across the country.
