Prof Mohamed Y. Janabi, MD, Msc, PhD

Prof. Mohamed Janabi is one of the candidates vying for the World Health Organisation Regional Director for Africa (WHO-AFRO) position. 

With over 20 years of experience in health diplomacy, clinical research and hospital leadership, Prof. Janabi has played a pivotal role in shaping Tanzania’s healthcare system while influencing global health policies.

Prof. Janabi is currently the CEO of Muhimbili National Hospital, one of Africa’s largest hospitals, with 4,000 beds and a network of 8,000 affiliated primary and secondary health facilities. He was also the founding Executive Director of the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, where over 2,000 advanced cardiac procedures are performed annually, reducing the need for overseas medical referrals by 95 percent.

Beyond his leadership in hospital administration, Prof. Janabi has served as a Senior Health Advisor to two Tanzanian Presidents. He played a key role in designing the Primary Health Care Development Programme, which significantly lowered maternal mortality by 81 per cent and facilitated the training of 12,000 community health workers.

During the 2014 to 2016 Ebola epidemic, he was part of the UN High-Level Panel on the Global Response to Health Crises, contributing to strategies that reshaped WHO’s pandemic preparedness framework.

He received his medical training from premier institutes in Europe, Australia, Japan and USA. Prof. Janabi undertook his MD from Kharkov Medical Institute, Ukraine and Residence (master’s degree) under the supervision of Prof. Ian Riley at the University of Queensland Herston Medical School campus in Brisbane, Australia. He received his PhD (cardiology) and post-doctorate (recipient of Japan Society for Promotion of Science) from the Graduate School Osaka University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular Science, under the supervision of Prof Yuji Matsuzawa (the co-founder of Syndrome X).