Dr. Faustine Ndugulile was nominated as the next Regional Director for the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region, succeeding Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, who has served two five-year terms in the position.
The nomination took place during the Seventy-fourth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
Dr. Ndugulile emerged as the preferred candidate among other nominees, including Dr. Boureima Hama Sambo from Niger, Dr. Ibrahima Socé Fall from Senegal, and Dr. Richard Mihigo from Rwanda.
His nomination will be submitted for appointment by the 156th session of the WHO Executive Board, scheduled for February 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Once appointed, Ndugulile will serve a five-year term, with the possibility of reappointment.
Dr. Ndugulile stands as a distinguished medical professional, public health specialist, and politician, with a remarkable track record exceeding 20 years.
Dr Faustine Ndugulile Education
He holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a Master of Medicine (MMED) from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
In addition, Ndugulile has earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Western Cape, South Africa, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) from the Open University of Tanzania.
Furthermore, he has a Diploma in Health Systems Management, Galilee College, Israel (2006) and a Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation of HIV/AIDS Programmes -Measure, Johannesburg, South Africa (2009).
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His Parliamentary Roles
Prior to his appointment Ndugulile was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kigamboni, Dar es Salaam, a position he has held since October 2010.
He is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Health Committee, Vice Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Advisory Group Health and a member of the Executive Committee of the Network of African Parliamentary Committees of Health (NEAPACOH).
The nominee also chaired the Tanzanian Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse from 2015 to 2017.
Before that, he served as Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Services from 2010 to 2013 and was a member of the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse from 2013 to 2015.
His Roles in Tanzania’s Health Sector
Dr. Faustine Ndugulile served as Tanzania’s Minister for Communication and Information Technology from December 2020 to September 2021.
Prior to this role, he was the Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children from October 2017 to May 2020.
Before his election as a Member of Parliament, he worked as a Resident Advisor in Johannesburg, South Africa, from July 2007 to September 2010.
From May 2004 to June 2007, he was the Programme Manager for the Blood Safety Programme, where he led the establishment of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) under the Ministry of Health.
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Additionally, he served as the Assistant Director of Diagnostic Services in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare from May 2004 to July 2006.
Ndugulile is the founding member of the Global and African TB Caucuses, Chairperson of the Tanzania Parliamentarians AIDS Coalition (TAPAC) and the Vice-chairman of Tanzania Parliamentarian against Malaria-TAPAMA.
Other International Health Experiences
Dr. Ndugulile has also accumulated significant international health experience throughout his career.
In 2023, he served as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He was the facilitator for a high-level meeting organized by the Global Fund, which brought together Permanent Secretaries and TB Managers from 11 countries in Arusha, Tanzania, from July 4 to July 7, 2023.
Additionally, he was a Governing Council Member of the International AIDS Society (IAS) in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2008 to 2016.
Ndugulile has also held the position of Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Maternal, Child Health, and Newborn Care.
Meanwhile, the nominee has contributed to the academic community by featuring in ten publications including Factors contributing to susceptibility and spread of HIV infection in secondary schools in Dar es Salaam.
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