Mohamed Janabi

Mohamed Yakub Janabi

Mohamed Yakub Janabi is a Tanzanian cardiologist and public-health leader who has served as WHO Regional Director for Africa since 30 June 2025. His earlier senior roles included advising Tanzania's president on health and leading Muhimbili National Hospital.

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About Mohamed Janabi

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

Tanzania · Cardiologist, Public-health leader · 4 affiliations

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Also known as: Dr Mohamed Janabi, Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi
Known for: Cardiovascular care; Health policy and health-systems development; Regional public-health governance in Africa
Country: Tanzania

Cardiologist
Public-health leader

At a glance

Janabi leads WHO's work supporting the 47 Member States of the WHO African Region.
He is a cardiologist with more than three decades of leadership experience spanning clinical medicine, health policy, public health and health-systems development.
Before joining WHO as Regional Director, he served as Senior Health Advisor to Tanzania's president and as Executive Director of Muhimbili National Hospital.
He founded and previously led the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, described by WHO as a regional centre of excellence in cardiovascular care.

Clinical and public-health background

Janabi is a Tanzanian cardiologist whose career has combined clinical medicine with health policy, public health and health-systems leadership. WHO describes him as having more than three decades of leadership experience. He also founded and led the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, which WHO describes as a regional centre of excellence in cardiovascular care.

Health leadership in Tanzania

Before his regional WHO appointment, Janabi held senior positions in Tanzania's health sector. He served as Senior Health Advisor to the President of the United Republic of Tanzania and as Executive Director of Muhimbili National Hospital. The reviewed sources establish these roles but do not provide a fully corroborated chronology for each appointment.

Appointment as WHO Regional Director

WHO African Region Member States nominated Janabi as the next Regional Director on 18 May 2025, and the WHO Executive Board formally appointed him on 28 May. He assumed office on 30 June 2025 and leads WHO's work supporting the region's 47 Member States. The appointment resolution authorizes a contract ending on 31 January 2031, subject to WHO staff regulations and rules.

Regional public-health priorities

WHO lists Janabi's stated priorities as universal health coverage; lower maternal and child mortality; action on communicable and noncommunicable diseases; climate-resilient health systems; health security and emergency preparedness; domestic health financing; local research and innovation; and stronger regional and global partnerships. These are stated priorities rather than evidence of implementation or measured outcomes.

Affiliations

World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa Regional Director for Africa 2025-06-30–present
Muhimbili National Hospital Executive Director
Office of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania Senior Health Advisor to the President
Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute Founder and former leader

Timeline

1962-12-25 Born in Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, according to Janabi's WHO-hosted candidate CV.
2001-03-23 Osaka University's institutional record lists this as the award date for Mohamed Yakub Janabi's Doctor of Medicine degree.
2014 Founded the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, according to Ifakara Health Institute and WHO biographical material.
2025-05-18 Nominated by WHO African Region Member States as the next Regional Director for Africa at a special Regional Committee session in Geneva.
2025-05-28 Formally appointed WHO Regional Director for Africa by the WHO Executive Board.
2025-06-30 Assumed office as WHO Regional Director for Africa.

Additional verified details

Current context

Mohamed Yakub Janabi is WHO Regional Director for Africa. WHO's active Regional Director page identifies Janabi in the role, and a WHO report published on 11 July 2026 describes an official visit undertaken in that capacity.
As Regional Director, Janabi leads WHO's work supporting the 47 Member States of the WHO African Region. This is the remit of the WHO Regional Director for Africa as set out in WHO materials.
WHO lists Janabi's stated priorities as universal health coverage; lower maternal and child mortality; action on communicable and noncommunicable diseases; climate-resilient health systems; health security and emergency preparedness; domestic health financing; local research and innovation; and regional and global partnerships. These are priorities listed in WHO's current biographical and Regional Director materials, rather than a measure of implementation or outcomes.
The WHO Executive Board resolution authorizes a contract ending on 31 January 2031, subject to WHO staff regulations and rules. This is the contractual end date specified in the WHO Executive Board resolution of 28 May 2025.

Biographical facts

WHO identifies Mohamed Yakub Janabi as a Tanzanian national.
A WHO-hosted candidate CV states that Janabi was born in Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, on 25 December 1962.
WHO characterizes Janabi as a cardiologist with more than three decades of leadership experience across clinical medicine, health policy, public health and health-systems development.
Before his WHO appointment, Janabi served as Senior Health Advisor to the President of the United Republic of Tanzania and as Executive Director of Muhimbili National Hospital.
Janabi previously founded and led the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, which WHO describes as a regional centre of excellence in cardiovascular care.
Osaka University's institutional repository records Mohamed Yakub Janabi as receiving a Doctor of Medicine degree from Osaka University on 23 March 2001.