By Michael Gwarisa
A Zimbabwean public health specialist, Dr Marjorie Mupandare, has been appointed World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in São Tomé and Príncipe, taking charge of the WHO Country Office in the Portuguese-speaking African nation.
Dr Mupandare officially began her mission after presenting her Letters of Credence to the country’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities, Dr Ilza Amado Vaz. The ceremony marked the formal commencement of her duties as the WHO’s representative in the country.
Dr Mupandare brings more than 20 years of international experience in public health, humanitarian response and health systems strengthening, with a career spanning Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
She has held leadership positions with several international organisations and United Nations agencies, including WHO, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Throughout her career, she has worked in countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, supporting health emergency preparedness and response, humanitarian coordination and efforts to strengthen national health systems.
Before her appointment to São Tomé and Príncipe, Dr Mupandare served as Regional Incident Manager for the Sudan Humanitarian Response at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. In that role, she coordinated health interventions in Sudan, one of the world’s most complex humanitarian crises.
Experience in Portuguese-speaking Africa
Dr Mupandare’s career also includes significant experience in Portuguese-speaking African countries, giving her a strong understanding of the health and humanitarian challenges facing the region.
Between 2015 and 2021, she worked with WHO in Guinea-Bissau, where she supported national efforts to prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks, including Ebola, Zika and COVID-19. Her work also contributed to strengthening national disease surveillance and public health emergency management capacities.
She later served as Head of Office of OCHA in Mozambique, where she led coordination of the humanitarian response to the crisis in Cabo Delgado.
Earlier in her career, she was Country Director of Skillshare International in Mozambique, providing strategic leadership for development programmes and institutional capacity-building initiatives.
Her experience across these countries has given her extensive exposure to the opportunities and challenges facing Portuguese-speaking African states.
Strong academic background
Dr Mupandare holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. She also holds a Master of Public Health from Roehampton University and a master’s degree in international studies from Ewha Womans University in the Republic of Korea.
She is also a Global Fellow of WomenLift Health, an international initiative focused on advancing women’s leadership in global health. In her new role, Dr Mupandare will work with the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe, development partners, United Nations agencies, civil society and local communities to support the country’s health priorities.
Her appointment adds another senior Zimbabwean voice to international health leadership, while bringing extensive experience in health emergencies, humanitarian coordination and health systems strengthening to the WHO’s work in São Tomé and Príncipe.
The WHO Country Office in São Tomé and Príncipe has welcomed Dr Mupandare and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the country in promoting the health and wellbeing of its population.
