The World Health Organization‘s, WHO, regional director-elect for Africa, Dr. Faustine Ndugulile has died while receiving medical treatment in India, Tanzania’s parliament speaker said Wednesday.
Plans to repatriate the body of Tanzania’s Dr. Faustine Ndugulile are underway, Speaker Tulia Ackson said, adding that funeral plans would be announced later.
However, she didn’t disclose Ndugulile’s ailment.
Ndugulile, aged 55 served as a member of parliament for Kigamboni Constituency in Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.
He was also the East African country’s health assistant minister between 2017-2020 and the information and communication minister until 2021.
He was elected as the WHO’s African director in August and was set to start his new role in February 2025, following Dr. Matshidiso Moeti who served in the role for two terms. In his acceptance speech, Ndugulile expressed a firm commitment to advancing the health and well-being of people in Africa.
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed condolences on social media platform X, calling his death “devastating,” while WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus wrote that he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by his death.
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Several Tanzanian legislators also posted on X, saying Ndugulile was “a humble man.”
Godbless Lema, a former opposition legislator, wrote: “When in parliament, Ndugulile wasn’t as harsh as his colleagues in the ruling party.”
Regional directors have a five-year term and are eligible for reappointment only once.
Born in 1969, Ndugulile was a Tanzanian politician and renowned public health expert.
African member states voted to nominate Ndugulile during the 74th session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for Africa, held in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
His nomination was scheduled to be submitted for appointment by the 156th session of the WHO Executive Board, which takes place in February 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus on his X handle expressed shock at the passing of Ndugulile.
Ghebreyesus posted: “Shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the sudden passing of Dr Faustine Ndugulile, @WHOAFRO Regional Director-elect.
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