Tanzania hopes its envoy to win the WHO Africa Region’s post this Sunday

DAR ES SALAAM: THE race to lead the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Region is set to reach climax this Sunday in Geneva, where members of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa will pick the winner.

The election, which is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. East African Time (9:00 a.m. Geneva Time), will be conducted by secret ballot during a closed session of the Regional Committee.

Four candidates are vying for the position: Prof. Mohamed Janabi, nominated by Tanzania; Prof. Mijiyawa Moustafa, nominated by Togo; Dr. Dramé Mohammed Lamine, nominated by Guinea; and Dr. N’da Konan Michel Yao, nominated by Côte d’Ivoire.

The election comes following the sudden and untimely death of the former Regional Director-elect, Dr. Faustine Ndugulile from Tanzania, in November 2024.

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Prof. Janabi, the only candidate from Sub-Saharan Africa, is expected to face tough competition from his West African counterparts.

In outlining his campaign priorities, Prof. Janabi emphasized that his first goal is to support African countries in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by working to reduce the continent’s disease burden to 68 percent of the global target, up from the current 46 percent.

He also aims to establish strong and sustainable sources of funding for health systems across the continent.

Another major focus is strengthening emergency preparedness to respond effectively to health crises.

Improving maternal and child health and nutrition are also his agenda, along with combating infectious, non-communicable, and neglected tropical diseases.

He has pledged to address the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance, which currently contributes to 1.27 million deaths annually in Africa.

Finally, Prof. Janabi has highlighted the importance of building Africa’s capacity to produce its own medicines by investing in pharmaceutical manufacturing across the region.

As the election is just days away, all eyes will be on Geneva to witness who will take the position again to run for the seat in the next five years.