The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) new director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made an ever-so-slight miscalculation. He appointed Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe to the position of "goodwill ambassador". The "goodwill ambassador" is the ultimate junket ticket. Unlike the "special envoy" who must expend energy appearing to attend to an actual problem, the "goodwill ambassador" has no tasks other than to travel the globe, stay in first-class hotels and affect a great interest in humanitarian affairs. Ghebreyesus said he appointed Mugabe because of his admiration for the latter’s "commitment to public health". Mugabe would, he said "influence his peers in the region" to improve their health-care provision.

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