The coordinating Minister of health and social welfare, Prof. Muhammadu Ali Pate, has extended his congratulations to Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, on his appointment as the Executive Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Health Emergencies Programme.
His appointment followed the election of a Tanzanian Professor, Mohamed Janabi, as the new World Health Organisation Regional Director for Africa.
The election took place during a special session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, held on Sunday in Geneva, ahead of the World Health Assembly.
Ihekweazu was appointed the acting Regional Director for the organisation in Africa in February 2025, after the death of Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, who was elected the Regional Director in August 2024.
Ihekweazu was the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) from 2016 to 2021, and was until January 2018, the Acting Director of the Regional Centre for Disease Control for West Africa.
He is trained as an infectious disease epidemiologist and has over 20 years’ experience working in senior public health and leadership positions in several National Public Health Institutes, including the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the UK’s Health Protection Agency, and Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
He has led several short-term engagements for WHO, mainly in response to major infectious disease outbreaks around the world. He was also part of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Pate, who shared his congratulatory message on his official X handle, described the new appointment as “The right choice at the right time”, especially in those times marked by pandemic, climate-related health threats, and fragile health systems.
He further said, “Dr. Chikwe is an exceptional leader and a loyal team. I am confident that his tenure will further strengthen global health security and emergency preparedness. His visionary leadership, experience and unwavering dedication to public health will serve the world well.
“The world is changing rapidly, and the future of global health depends on bold, trusted and compassionate leadership. Dr. Ihekweazu embodied all of this and more. The world has made an excellent choice.”
He also assured of the federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare support for Ihekweazu as he assumes this vital global role.
Meanwhile, Janabi, born on December 25, 1962, is the Senior Advisor on Health Matters to Tanzanian President Samia Hassan and Executive Director of Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania. He was the Executive Director of the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, Dar es Salaam, from 2014 to 2022.
His vision, according to his curriculum vitae, is a healthier, resilient, and prosperous Africa where everyone has access to quality healthcare, supported by equitable, innovative, and sustainable systems that ensure optimal well-being.
His priorities are Universal Health Coverage, maternal and child health, combating communicable and non-communicable diseases, primary healthcare, climate-resilient health systems, health security, innovation and research, partnerships and collaboration, antimicrobial resistance, and domestic health financing.
He has a postdoctoral fellowship in Cardiology at Osaka University Hospital, Japan (2004); PhD in Cardiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; a Master of Tropical Health, at Queensland Medical School, Australia (1994); and a Doctor of Medicine, Kharkov Medical Institute, Ukraine (1989).
He is an Honorary Professor at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (2003) and Adjunct Professor in Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina, USA (2006).
Janabi is passionate about sports and has actively contributed to their development in Tanzania. From 2018 to June 2024, he served as a board member of Simba Sports Club, which achieved a CAF ranking of seven during his tenure.
Currently, he leads the Drug and Doping Committee for the East Africa-hosted AFCON 2027, ensuring fair play and integrity in this prestigious tournament.
The Director General of WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, has also congratulated Janabi after the election. Tedros in a post on X posted, “You have earned the confidence and trust of the Member States of the region. This is a great privilege, and a very great responsibility. I assure you of my support and that of my colleagues in Geneva.”
Also, the WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr Kazadi Mulombo, congratulated the new Regional Director. Mulombo said, “Congratulations Prof @ProfJanabi on your election as new RD @WHOAFRO by 47 Member States. We look forward to welcoming you and implementing your new vision for Africa Health Development. We @WHONigeria look forward to working under your leadership and stand ready to contribute to fulfilling your vision of a healthier, better, and more competitive Africa.”
