The Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament announced on Wednesday that the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for Africa died in India during medical treatment.
The Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament, Tulia Ackson, stated that plans to return the body of Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, 55, to his home country are ongoing. She added that funeral arrangements will be announced later. The cause of Ndugulile’s illness has not been disclosed.
Ndugulile served as a member of parliament for the Kigamboni constituency in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital. He also served as Deputy Minister of Health from 2017 to 2020 and as Minister of Information and Communication until 2021.
In August, he was elected as the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa, and was set to start his term in February 2025, succeeding Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, who served two terms. In his acceptance speech, Ndugulile expressed his commitment to advancing the health and well-being of people in Africa.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed her condolences on the social media platform X, calling his death “devastating,” while WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus wrote that he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by his passing.
Several Tanzanian lawmakers also posted on X, describing Ndugulile as a “humble man.”
