UNICEF USA Announces Board-Certified Physician and Health Content Creator Doctor Mike Varshavski as Newest Ambassador
NEW YORK (April 24, 2025) – UNICEF USA has appointed family medicine physician and top health content creator Doctor Mike (Doctor Mikhail Varshavski) as the organization’s newest Ambassador. The announcement comes during World Immunization Week. Doctor Mike is an advocate for children’s health and often uses his platform of over 25 million followers to share accurate medical information and address common misconceptions.
Doctor Mike began working with UNICEF in 2021, partnering on a video to discuss how COVID-19 vaccinations work. Since then, he has leveraged his social platform to raise awareness for children’s health and wellbeing on behalf of UNICEF.
“I am proud to serve as the newest UNICEF Ambassador,” said Doctor Mike. “This role represents an important opportunity for me to continue my work of advocating for children’s health with an organization that provides nearly half of the world’s children with critical vaccinations. UNICEF’s mission to ensure that every child is healthy, educated, protected and respected has never been more important and I look forward to amplifying this critical work on my platform.”
In 2024, Doctor Mike visited UNICEF Supply Division, the world’s largest humanitarian warehouse in Copenhagen, Denmark. While there, he learned from experts about UNICEF’s work and helped pack and ship life-saving supplies to children and families worldwide. Later that year, he teamed up with UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador and Rugby World Cup winner, Tendai Mtawarira, for a child nutrition quiz in support of UNICEF’s Child Poverty Report.
“We are honored to welcome Doctor Mike to our incredible team of UNICEF Ambassadors,” said Chief Marketing Officer of UNICEF USA Shelley Diamond. “With his unique combination of firsthand experience, impressive digital reach and commitment to advocating for vaccine efficacy, he will help us expand our reach and our Mission of ensuring children globally have access to the life-saving vaccines they need to survive and thrive.”
Born in Russia and raised in New York, Doctor Mike earned his B.S. in Life Sciences and Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from the New York Institute of Technology. While completing his residency at Atlantic Health System’s Overlook Medical Center, he began sharing his journey via Instagram, breaking down complex health topics in an engaging and charismatic way. He has welcomed many notable guests on his podcast, The Checkup, including medical professionals, athletes, world leaders, comedians, and actors, while regularly contributing to reputable health outlets. Today, he is one of the most prominent health educators online, with over 4 billion views on YouTube alone!
As a UNICEF Ambassador, Doctor Mike joins a roster of high-profile individuals who advocate for children’s rights on behalf of UNICEF including Sofia Carson, Selena Gomez, Laurie Hernandez, Jeremy Lin and P!NK among others.
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ABOUT UNICEF USA
UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. Together, we are working toward a world that upholds the rights of all children and helps every child thrive. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.
For more information, contact
Kimberly Koentjoro, UNICEF USA kkoentjoro@unicefusa.org