Amitabh Bachchan
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005
Amitabh Bachchan is one of India’s most prolific actors, bursting onto the Bollywood silver screen in the 1970s and going on to star in more than 190 films. An iconic and respected figure, Amitabh continues to use his popularity to raise awareness of community issues.
Amitabh has been associated with UNICEF since 2002 and was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in 2005. That same year, he supported UNICEF’s effort to raise awareness of sexual violence against children and the threat of HIV/AIDS through the Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS campaign. In 2014, Amitabh was appointed UN Ambassador for the Girl Child.
With UNICEF, Amitabh also became the face of mass media campaigns to tackle polio, persuading parents to ensure “do boond zindagi ki” – to take two drops of the polio vaccine each vaccination round. Amitabh was featured in a series of award-winning television and radio commercials emphasizing the crucial need for immunization.
He additionally took part in many public appearances, visiting remote areas of the country to spread the message of polio prevention. Amitabh's popularity and credibility helped encourage parents around the country to have their children immunized.