Mohamed Yakub Janabi

Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi is a Tanzanian cardiologist, public health expert, and the Regional Director of the World Health Organization African Region. He has over 30 years of experience in medicine, health policy, and international health diplomacy. Before his election in May 2025, he served as the Executive Director of Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania’s largest public hospital, and as a senior health advisor to the President of Tanzania. He assumed office as WHO Regional Director on 30 June 2025.

Early life and education

Janabi was born on December 25, 1962, in Moshi, located in the Kilimanjaro Region of northern Tanzania. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Kharkiv Medical Institute in Ukraine in 1989. In 1994, he obtained a Master’s degree in Tropical Medicine from the University of Queensland in Australia. He later earned a PhD in cardiology from Osaka University in Japan in 2000. He also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in cardiology at Osaka University Hospital in 2004.

Medical and administrative career

After returning to Tanzania, Janabi was appointed as the personal physician to the President in 2005. From 2015 to 2022, he served as the Executive Director of the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute. Under his leadership, JKCI became a regional center of excellence in cardiovascular treatment and research, helping reduce overseas medical referrals by over 95%.
In October 2022, Janabi was appointed Executive Director of Muhimbili National Hospital, the country’s largest referral and teaching hospital, with over 4,000 beds. His leadership has been noted for expanding services and enhancing operational efficiency at the national health institution.

International engagement and policy advisory

Janabi has advised multiple Tanzanian presidents, including former President Jakaya Kikwete and current President Samia Suluhu Hassan, on matters of health policy and health system reforms. He was a member of the United Nations High-Level Panel on the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak. He has also worked closely with international organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focusing on pandemic preparedness and health security in Tanzania.

WHO-AFRO candidacy

In March 2025, Janabi was nominated by the Tanzanian government as the official candidate for the position of WHO Regional Director for Africa. He succeeded Matshidiso Moeti, following the unexpected passing of Regional Director-elect Faustine Ndugulile. During the interim period, Chikwe Ihekweazu served as Acting Regional Director. Janabi’s vision for African health systems is based on four strategic pillars: achieving universal health coverage, building health system resilience, leveraging modern technology, and promoting sustainable and self-reliant health institutions.

Awards and memberships

Janabi is an adjunct faculty member at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and the University of South Carolina, USA. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a certified Aviation Medical Examiner approved by the United States Federal Aviation Administration.

Personal life

Janabi is multilingual, fluent in Swahili, English, Russian, and Japanese. He is married and has children.