Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, the incoming World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, has died while receiving medical treatment in India. The announcement was made on Wednesday by Tanzania's National Assembly Speaker Tulia Ackson. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Ndugulile, 55, was a Member of Parliament representing a constituency in Dar es Salaam and a former Tanzanian deputy health minister. He was nominated for the WHO Africa chief position in August and was set to begin his five-year term in February 2025.
Speaker Ackson expressed her sorrow over the news, describing his death as a "great loss" and stating that funeral arrangements would be announced in due course.
Global health leaders also mourned his passing. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was "shocked and deeply saddened," while current Africa Regional Director Dr. Matshidiso Moeti called it an "immense loss."
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan extended her condolences on social media, joining others in mourning Ndugulile's untimely death.