In a significant development for global health, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi of Tanzania has been elected as the new African Region nominee for Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO). This special election, held by the WHO African Regional Committee on Sunday, fills the vacancy left by the untimely passing of Dr. Faustine Ndugulile in November 2024.
Dr. Janabi’s nomination will now go before the WHO Executive Board for approval, paving the way for his formal appointment by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He emerged as the top candidate after a series of presentations and interviews, surpassing nominees from Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Guinea in a secret voting process.
With a distinguished career as a senior health advisor to both Tanzania’s late president and current head of state, Samia, Dr. Janabi brings a wealth of experience to the role. His stated priority is achieving Universal Health Coverage for the African Region, with a focus on reducing the financial burden that often prevents access to healthcare. “During the course of my duties, I have witnessed, first hand, patients being denied access to health care due to financial constraints, families parting ways with their position, their very means of living just to pay hospital bills,” he told the Regional Committee.
