Chikwe Ihekweazu, a former chief of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has been appointed as the acting regional director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Africa and will hold the position until May.
His appointment comes in the wake of the unexpected death of Faustine Ndugulile, who was set to assume the role but passed away while undergoing medical treatment in India. Ndugulile had been elected in August and was due to take over in February 2025 from Matshidiso Moeti, who served two consecutive terms.
Ihekweazu will oversee WHO Africa’s activities until a permanent regional director is selected. His selection puts a Nigerian public health expert at the forefront of efforts to address health challenges on the continent.
Sharing his thoughts on the role, Ihekweazu wrote: “Grateful for the trust of our DG @DrTedros and deeply honoured to take on the role of Acting @WHO Regional Director @WHOAFRO until May. It is an honour and privilege to serve our continent.”
Before taking on this interim role, he served as assistant director-general at WHO, leading global health emergency intelligence and surveillance. His work focused on pandemic preparedness, data-driven decision-making, and improving epidemic response strategies.
Prior to joining WHO, Ihekweazu was the founding director-general of NCDC, a role he held from 2016 to 2021, where he played a key part in shaping Nigeria’s response to infectious disease outbreaks. He is a medical doctor with a specialization in infectious disease epidemiology and also holds a master’s degree in public health.
