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On behalf of the World Food Prize Laureates and our Council of Advisors, the World Food Prize Foundation extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Sir David Nabarro, 2018 Laureate, who passed away on July 25, 2025.
“Sir David Nabarro was a towering figure in the global fight against hunger and malnutrition—a visionary who fused scientific rigor with deep compassion,” said Mashal Husain, President, World Food Prize Foundation. “His tireless commitment to building a healthier, more equitable world leaves an indelible legacy. We mourn his loss deeply, even as we carry forward the vision he so passionately championed.”
Nabarro was honored as the 2018 World Food Prize Laureate, with co-Laureate Lawrence Haddad, for his global leadership in elevating maternal and child undernutrition to a central issue within the food security and development dialogue at national and international levels.
“David was a friend, a mentor, and a hero to me and to millions of others,” said Lawrence Haddad in a tribute on LinkedIn. “What a legacy he has left: Ebola, Covid, SUN, food systems dialogues. The list goes on. He was fierce in the pursuit of truth and action, but kind in the building of friendships and trust.”
As a champion of public health in the United Nations, he was responsible for uniting 54 countries under the UN Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement to join forces and implement evidence-based policies and programs. His work significantly improved nutrition for mothers and children in the critical first 1,000 days of life—the period from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday. His relentless leadership and advocacy inspired efforts by countless stakeholders that collectively reduced the world’s number of stunted children by 10 million between 2012 and 2017.
In the face of a global food crisis in 2007-2008, when wheat, maize and rice prices suddenly doubled, Nabarro worked tirelessly as the SUN’s Coordinator and leader of the UN High Level Task Force on Global Security to secure first-ever commitments from governments, NGOs, donor agencies and businesses to prioritize nutrition interventions and policies. These efforts resulted in the implementation of policies that significantly reduced childhood malnutrition and curtailed the disastrous threat of the global food crisis in a wide array of countries, including Ghana, Guatemala, Kenya and Cambodia.
Nabarro established a framework and strategies for SUN that continue to mobilize political leaders to improve the nutritional status of countless mothers and children, with 50 countries encompassing 83 million stunted children joining the SUN Movement by the close of Nabarro’s tenure. Many of these countries, such as Myanmar and Nigeria, reported a significant decline of stunting in children, a true testament to the organization’s efficacy.
After kickstarting the SUN Movement in 2010, he went on to coordinate the UN’s global response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and served as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Special Envoy on COVID-19. The remarkable results he achieved were made possible by his immense ability to bring different parts of the world’s health system to work together, honed through a decade of tackling malaria, bird flu and AIDS and coordinating responses to humanitarian crises at the WHO. In 2023, his monumental contributions to global public health were recognized when he was knighted by King Charles III.
“When I first met David Nabarro at the World Food Prize in 2018, he was the personification of Rise to the Challenge, the theme of our Borlaug Dialogue that year,” said Amb. Kenneth Quinn, President Emeritus, World Food Prize Foundation. “His passion for alleviating malnutrition and suffering among the poorest populations in the world permeated the international organizations in which he served, and continued in his leadership in meeting the global challenge of Covid -19. I already deeply miss my friend, but I feel certain that his inspiration will live on far into the future.”
Though he was called upon for his expertise in pandemic preparedness many times in his career, to great success, he remained passionate about nutrition and food systems issues throughout his life. He began his career working with governments and non-profits to reach some of the world’s most vulnerable children with nutrition interventions, which expanded his knowledge of the complicated linkages between prosperity, nutrition and health and fueled his passion for building equitable global systems for food and nutrition.
“David Nabarro brought uncommon clarity and courage to some of the world’s most complex challenges,” said Tom Vilsack, CEO, World Food Prize Foundation. “He knew how to connect science with humanity and policy with purpose. His loss is profound, but his vision will continue to guide those working to build stronger food systems.”
With the monetary award from receiving the World Food Prize, he founded 4SD, an organization which mentors leaders and organizations in global sustainable development, especially nutrition and food systems. Nabarro exemplified what it means to bring together people and organizations to collaborate on pressing global health challenges.
The World Food Prize Foundation will miss Nabarro’s presence and honor him during the annual Laureate Award Ceremony on October 23, 2025.