Health experts back Prof Janabi as Tanzania’s candidate for WHO Africa Regional boss

Dar es Salaam. Health experts have expressed their support for the government's decision to nominate Prof Mohammed Janabi as Tanzania’s candidate for the position of WHO Africa Regional Director.

On Tuesday, President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced that Tanzania would forward Prof Janabi's name to succeed the late Dr Faustine Ndugulile, who tragically passed away on November 27, 2024, while receiving medical treatment in India.

Dr Ndugulile was originally set to assume the role of WHO Africa Regional Director in March 2025.

Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony of Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Deputy Permanent Secretaries, and Diplomats at the Tunguu State Lodge in Zanzibar, President Hassan expressed her confidence in Prof Janabi’s qualifications.

“After reviewing numerous CVs, I am convinced that Prof Janabi has the right experience and expertise for this role. We are preparing him for this important task, and when the time comes, we will submit his CV,” said President Hassan.

She also urged Prof Janabi to closely monitor the activities at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), where he serves as the Executive Director and also recently picked as the President’s Advisor on Health Affairs.

Health professionals have welcomed the nomination, praising Prof Janabi’s impressive track record in healthcare management and his contributions to the medical field in Tanzania.

Those who spoke to The Citizen on Tuesday said Prof Janabi’s experience and leadership in various health sectors have made him a strong contender for the regional director role.

The associate dean at the Aga Khan University Medical College East Africa Tanzania, Prof Paschal Ruggajo, said he was very proud of Prof Janabi’s ability as a seasoned medical practitioner and a firm believer in quality health care services.

He said Prof Janabi has a strong ability to attract global collaborations that have changed the humble beginnings of Tanzania’s hospitals like the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute and the MNH into being the houses of modern and quality health care services.

He has worked on different high-profile roles, including being the private doctor of the former president, Jakaya Kikwete; being a lecturer; and being a researcher who invested his expertise in noncommunicable diseases. The combination of these experiences makes him a tick for that position.

“Through his collaborations, he was able to transform the growth of the JKCI, where he was previously, and moved to the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), where he is right now. He has done a lot of research on different areas, but mostly on non-communicable diseases, and this can be his focus as he goes for his the WHO nomination,” said Prof Ruggajo.

Commenting on the succession plan, he said, Prof Janabi was not a one-man show, as he works closely with different people at the MNH. He termed him as a man who gives credit to the best performers, a development, he said, has resulted in good management at the MNH, and the succession plan will be very successful through this.

The chairman for the Association of Private Health Facilities in Tanzania (APHFTA), Dr Egina Makwabe congratulated Prof Janabi for his nomination and said he has always believed in working with the health stakeholders in the private sector, and his absence will be felt.

“He believes in working with the private sector since his days at the JKCI. I wish him all the best and hope that the upcoming leader will be able to carry his vision of modernizing the health sector in the country. We have a lot of qualified experts and talented people to fill this gap if vetting and succession plans are well implemented,” said Dr Egina.

The head of the Pediatric Surgical Unit at the MNH, Dr Zaitun Bokhary said, she is still in shock of Prof Janabi’s nomination, as she is afraid of losing a good and trusted leader who is also visionary.

“Just a few days ago I was with him at the meeting of conjoined twins at the Saudi Arabia. He was very optimistic that MNH will be able to do such complicated surgeries soon; the reason he also went to see what Saudia had so that Tanzania can borrow a leaf for future implementation,” she said.

She is happy for him, but she cannot picture MNH without Prof Janabi’s vision to take the health sector in the country into a medical tourism center.

Currently serving as Executive Director for the MNH and the President’s Advisor on Health matters, Prof Janabi is a distinguished scholar in the medical field, he holds three degrees: a Doctor of Medicine (MD), a Master of Science (MSc), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Medical Sciences.

He is an Associate Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) and a certified Aviation Medical Examiner authorised by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA-USA).

Before assuming his current role at MNH, Prof Janabi held the position of CEO at the JKCI. He has also been the Chief Physician to former President Jakaya Kikwete.

In academia, Prof Janabi is a lecturer at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) since 2000 and at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in the United States since 2003.