By Damas Makangale, Dar es Salaam
I came to know Dr Faustine Ndugulile in February 2018, when
he was Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and
Children during Dr John Magufuli’s presidency.
The soft-spoken gentleman was the guest of honour at the
launch of a four-day African Medicines Quality Forum (AMQF) in Dar es Salaam,
which brought together scientists, policy-makers and health stakeholders from
18 African countries.
Although I had worked in various media houses for almost 19
years, I had never held an interview with him. However, I was aware that he
spent his childhood in Upanga just as I did, but due to different age groups,
we never played together those days at Mawingu sea view, or near Etienne’s
Hotel or Joy Club for young people by then.
The untimely demise of Dr. Ndugulile was received with shock
by many Tanzanians as he was elected after competing with several other
Africans for the post of the Director General of World Health Organisation
(WHO) for Africa.
Indeed, Tanzania as a nation has lost a great son, who had
just been elected to chair the WHO post which would have opened more job
opportunists for the nation and for Tanzanians or even access green pastures.
During that AMQF forum, Dr. Ndugulile said drugs regulatory
authorities in Africa should be committed to implementing and enforcing agreed
quality control measures to enhance and foster qualities in drugs across the
region.
The meeting, which was co-organised by the United States of
Pharmacopeia Convention (USP), NEPAD Agency, and then Tanzania Food and Drugs
Authority (TFDA), which was one most vital meeting launched by Dr. Ndugulile.
Dr. Ndugulile was a medical doctor specialised in public
health and medical microbiology. He joined politics in 2010 and he had been a
Member of Parliament (MP) for Kigamboni Constituency in Dar Es Salaam, until he
passed away. He was Vice-Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on
Social Services and Community Development and Chairman of the Parliamentary
Committee on HIV/Aids and Substance Abuse.
He was Chairperson of Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union
(IPU) Advisory Committee on HIV/Aids, Maternal and Child Health between 2015
and 2017. Between 2008 and 2016, Dr. Ndugulile was a member of the Governing
Council of the International Aids Society, which is also based in Geneva. In
addition, he was a member of Pan African Parliament (2015-2017), a member of
the American Society of Microbiologists (ASM), Tanzania Public Health
Association (TPHA), and Secretary-General and later Chairperson of the Tanzania
Parliamentarians Aids Coalition (TAPAC).
Dr. Ndugulile also served as Deputy Minister for Health,
Community Development, Gender and Elderly between 2017 and 2020.
With the establishment of a new Ministry of Communication
and Information Technology in December 2020, he was appointed as its first
Minister.
This Ministry is tasked with the responsibility of
overseeing the Digital Transformation in Tanzania. During his short stay in the
new Ministry, Dr. Ndugulile supervised the development of a five-year Strategic
Plan, Broadband and Cybersecurity strategies. He also championed innovation,
promotion of starts-up and adoption of new ICT technologies.
A 55-year-old lawmaker and medical doctor, reportedly died
on Wednesday morning in India at a hospital where he was admitted for an
undisclosed illness.
Dr. Ndugulile was born on March 31, 1969. Rest in peace one
of the brilliant politicians and medical doctors. Your legacy will not be
forgotten in and outside the country.
…The author is a freelance journalist
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