The World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu as Acting Regional Director of the African Regional Office, following the conclusion of Dr. Matshidiso Moeti's term on Tuesday.
"I am confident that the Region is in very capable hands," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in a statement announcing the appointment.
Dr. Ihekweazu, a Nigerian infectious disease epidemiologist, joined WHO in 2021 as an Assistant Director-General and Deputy Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Programme.
Prior to his role at WHO, he served as the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
Dr. Ihekweazu will serve as Acting Regional Director until a new permanent director is nominated and confirmed by the WHO Executive Board.
Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, the Tanzanian physician elected as the WHO's next African director in August 2024, was set to assume the role this month. However, Dr. Ndugulile tragically passed away while receiving medical treatment in India last November.
Dr. Moeti, who served as the first woman to head the WHO Africa Regional Office, was appointed to the position in 2015 and oversaw the region's response to numerous public health challenges, including the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic.
"My sister @MoetiTshidi, thank you for your exceptional contributions to Africa's health and for your unwavering leadership in the @WHOAFRO Region. We owe you immense gratitude for all you've done for," Dr. Ghebreyesus said in a post on X, acknowledging her significant contributions to public health in Africa.
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