Ivoirian footballer, Gervais Yao Kouassi, better known as Gervinho, is UNAIDS Special Ambassador for Youth.
Gervinho originally teamed up with UNAIDS when he signed the Protect the Goal pledge in May 2014 when he was playing for Italian club, AS Roma. Harnessing the power of sport and culture, the Protect the Goal campaign has three specific objectives: to raise awareness of HIV, to encourage young people to commit to HIV prevention, and to emphasize the need to ensure that young people living with HIV have access to life-saving treatment.
After his move to China in January 2016 to play in the Chinese Super League, Gervinho’s role was expanded to support UNAIDS efforts to strengthen China-Africa collaboration.
In August 2018, Gervinho returned to Italy to play for Serie A side, Parma where he continues to work with UNAIDS.
