Chikwe Ihekweazu, the founding director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has been appointed as the Acting Regional Director for Africa at the World Health Organization (WHO).
The announcement was made on Tuesday by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus during the 156th session of the WHO executive board in Geneva, Switzerland.
Dr. Ghebreyesus expressed confidence that the African region of WHO is in “capable hands” under Ihekweazu’s leadership for the next four months.
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Ihekweazu will hold this position until a new regional director is nominated and formally appointed by the WHO Executive Board after the World Health Assembly.
Ihekweazu, a Nigerian epidemiologist and public health physician, takes over from Matshidiso Moeti, who served as the Regional Director for Africa for a decade.
Dr. Moeti, a public health specialist from Botswana, was the first woman to hold the role.
Dr. Ghebreyesus praised Moeti’s leadership and dedication, highlighting the significant impact she has had over the past 10 years, noting that she always ensured the best for Africa.
As Acting Regional Director, Ihekweazu will lead WHO’s African regional office in addressing key health challenges, reinforcing the agency’s efforts to strengthen healthcare systems, enhance emergency preparedness, and improve disease response across the continent.
Ihekweazu’s appointment represents a transition period for the WHO Africa region while the search for a permanent regional director continues. Ihekweazu has an extensive background in infectious disease epidemiology and public health leadership.
Before joining WHO in 2021, he served as the NCDC’s Director-General from 2016 to 2021, where he played a key role in Nigeria’s response to infectious diseases, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At WHO, Ihekweazu has held the role of Assistant Director-General and Deputy Executive Director of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Programme.
With over 25 years of public health experience, he has worked in various national public health institutions globally, including the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the UK’s Health Protection Agency, and Germany’s Robert Koch Institute.
He was also part of the WHO mission to China during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020.
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