By Sylvia Chebet
Tanzanian lawmaker Dr. Faustine Engelbert Ndugulile has been elected the new World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa.
He will succeed Botswana's Dr. Matshidiso Moeti whose second term in office comes to an end in February 2025.
Ndugulile was elected during the 74th WHO Africa regional session in the Republic of Congo's capital Brazzaville.
"I want to bring transformational leadership at the helm of WHO Africa regional office," Ndugulile told TRT Afrika.
Ndugulile was up against three other candidates; Senegal's Ibrahima Socé Fall, Rwanda's Richard Mihigo, and Niger's Boureima Hama Sambo - all public health experts who have led various local, regional and global health initiatives.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus congratulated Ndugulile for his win, saying on X: "It is a great privilege, and a very great responsibility. I and the entire @WHO family in Africa and around the world will support you every step of the way. "
The outgoing leader, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti also congragulated her successor, saying: " Congratulations, @DocFaustine, on your nomination as @WHOAFRO Regional Director.
"This is an extremely fulfilling role and despite the challenges, I know you will take the baton and go on to accelerate the gains already made, putting the health of the people of Africa at the centre."
Outsider who swept the vote
Dr. Ndugulile is a doctor by passion, a technocrat and a politician.
He is currently a serving member of parliament of a constituency in Tanzania's economic city of Dar es Salam, chairman of the Parliamentary Health Committee and vice chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a global advisory group on health.
He is a public health expert with a doctorate degree and Master of Medicine (MMED) in Medical Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Dar es Salaam, a Master of Public Health from the University of Western Cape and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the Open University of Tanzania.
Ndugulile served as minister for ICT and deputy health minister in Tanzania and as resident advisor for the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in South Africa.
His opponents however had long-standing careers with WHO at the secretariat and regional levels.
Ibrahima Socé Fall from Senegal is currently the director of WHO's Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme while Niger's Boureima Hama Sambo and Rwanda's Richard Mihigo have represented various country offices across the continent and worked with the health authority for 17 and 18 years respectively.
Ndugulile's in-tray
"My key priorities are enabling the right to health, preparing for the next pandemic, mainstreaming political engagement and having a strong and robust WHO regional office with strong country offices," Ndugulile told TRT Afrika.
"Health is politics and good public health is good politics," he adds, explaining that Africa has been lacking the "final catalyst," which is the engagement of the policy makers and political leaders who make decisions on resources and priorities for investments.
"I will pursue the health diplomacy approach, so that we can do better and more together."
His appointment will be confirmed at the 156th session of the WHO Executive board, which will be held in Geneva, Switzerland in January 2025.
He will then take office in February 2025 for a five-year term and is eligible for reappointment once.
