Dr Nyambura Moremi bids farewell to National Public Health Laboratory

Dar es Salaam. In a full-circle moment, Dr Nyambura Moremi has officially stepped down as Director of the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), concluding a tenure that transformed Tanzania’s diagnostic and laboratory landscape.

Her departure marks the end of a significant era for public health and laboratory science in the country.

Dr Moremi, a clinical microbiologist and infectious diseases specialist widely regarded as one of Tanzania’s most accomplished scientists, announced her resignation via social media on Thursday.

“I am truly grateful for the more than four years entrusted to me by the United Republic of Tanzania to head the NPHL,” she wrote.

“Together, as a team, we achieved significant milestones that elevated the laboratory’s standing at national, regional, and international levels,” she added.

Dr Moremi’s second tenure at the helm of the NPHL followed a controversial and abrupt exit in May 2020.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, she was suspended by then-Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu following a public dispute over the credibility of the laboratory’s testing protocols.

The move came after former President John Magufuli claimed samples from non-human sources—including a goat, a papaya, and engine oil—had tested positive for the virus, implying either gross incompetence or sabotage at the national lab.

The allegations prompted the formation of a 10-person investigative committee, though the findings were never published, and Tanzania subsequently ceased reporting Covid-19 data altogether.

Despite the circumstances, Dr Moremi’s reinstatement and reappointment were viewed by many as a quiet exoneration.

Insiders suggest the lack of any published evidence from the investigation, combined with her return to leadership, signalled restored confidence in her professionalism and scientific integrity.

During her second term, Dr Moremi led the NPHL through remarkable transformation.

Under her guidance, the lab achieved ISO 15189:2022 certification for quality and competence in medical testing, as well as ISO 17043:2010 certification for proficiency testing.

It was also designated the Eastern Africa Regional Centre of Excellence for Biosafety and Biosecurity, training over 70 experts from nine countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) accredited the lab for testing HIV drug resistance, measles, and rubella, further enhancing its international stature.

Her leadership also saw the NPHL become Tanzania’s national hub for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in human health, and it entered the qualification process to become the country’s reference laboratory for polio testing.

In addition, the lab expanded its technological capabilities by introducing molecular techniques for cervical cancer detection and establishing in-country genome sequencing and bioinformatics infrastructure.

This enabled Tanzania to analyse viruses and bacteria responsible for outbreaks without exporting samples abroad — a significant step towards national scientific independence.

Dr Moremi now moves to a new continental role as AMR Technical Officer with the GIZ African Union/Africa CDC.

In this position, she will support African Union member states in designing, reviewing, and implementing their National Action Plans on AMR control, aligned with the African Union Framework.

“Cheers to new beginnings,” she wrote in her farewell message, signalling her enthusiasm for the next chapter of her career.

Dr Moremi’s time at the NPHL not only rehabilitated the lab’s image but elevated Tanzania’s role in global and regional public health.

As the country continues to strengthen its health infrastructure, Dr Moremi’s legacy stands as both a cautionary tale and an inspiring blueprint for what can be achieved when science is allowed to lead, free from political interference.