Dar es Salaam, November 27, 2024 – Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, a Tanzanian health expert and politician slated to assume the position of Regional Director for the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa in February 2025, has passed away at the age of 55.
Tanzania’s National Assembly Speaker, Tulia Ackson, announced the news with “great sadness,” describing his death as an "immense and unexpected loss." Dr. Ndugulile, who had previously served as Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of Health and a Member of Parliament representing Dar es Salaam, died in India late Tuesday night, where he had been receiving treatment. Details regarding the nature of his illness and cause of death have not been disclosed.
Appointed to his new role in August, Dr. Ndugulile was to oversee WHO’s initiatives across Africa for a five-year term beginning in early 2025. His untimely death has left the global health community in shock.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his condolences, stating he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the news. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the current WHO Regional Director for Africa, echoed the sentiments, calling his passing “an immense loss” on the platform X.
Dr. Ndugulile’s dedication to improving healthcare systems and his visionary leadership have been widely recognized, both in Tanzania and internationally. His death is a profound loss for public health in Africa and beyond.
The WHO and Tanzanian government have yet to announce plans for his succession.
