Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, a 59-year-old from Angola, was unanimously re-elected by the 59th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee (RC) for Africa as WHO Regional Director for Africa. He qualified as a medical doctor from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Angola and obtained a Diploma of specialist in Public Health from the Portuguese Medical Association. He holds a PhD degree in Management from the University of Hull, UK.
Dr Sambo started his career in 1977 as District Medical Officer at the Municipality of Cacuaco in the Province of Luanda and was the Director of Health Services in the province of Cabinda from 1978 to 1980. He also served as Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Health in Luanda from 1981 and 1983.
He was appointed Vice-Minister of Health in 1983, a position he held for five years. He joined WHO in 1989 as Chief of the Inter-Country Strategic Support Team in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he oversaw technical support to strengthen health systems in the Southern African countries. In 1990, he was assigned to Guinea Bissau as WHO Country Representative.
In 1996 he served as Director of the Division of Health Services Development at the Regional Office. In 1998, he was appointed Director of Programme Management at the same office.
Awards and distinctions conferred on him in recognition of his contribution to and achievements in the field of public health.
Dr Sambo has several publications in international scientific journals. He is a member of the Angolan Medical Association, the Portuguese Medical Association and the International Society of Systems Sciences.