Dr. Honorati Masanja is the former Chief Executive Director of the Ifakara Health Institute, having served in the position from 2016 to 2026. A statistician and epidemiologist by training, he holds a PhD in Epidemiology and has extensive experience in data management, clinical trials, research design, and the design and evaluation of large-scale maternal and child health programmes.

Dr. Masanja joined Ifakara in 1992 and obtained his PhD in Epidemiology from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, in 2006. Over more than three decades with the Institute, he played a significant role in the acquisition and implementation of national and regional research programmes, many of which contributed directly to strengthening Tanzania’s health system.

He participated in the establishment of the Rufiji Health and Demographic Surveillance System (RHDSS) and later served as Principal Investigator for the SAVVY project from 2009 to 2014. The project contributed to Tanzania’s transition towards evidence-based health planning and strengthened the use of data for health-sector monitoring and evaluation.

Dr. Masanja’s scientific engagement extends beyond Tanzania. He has published extensively in international journals and books and has contributed to scientific review and advisory activities. His professional engagements have included serving as an editorial reviewer for the MRC Joint Health Systems Research Initiative, as well as membership of Tanzania’s National eHealth Steering Committee and the Steering Committee for Monitoring and Evaluation.

A committed mentor and educator, Dr. Masanja has supervised and supported the training of postdoctoral, doctoral, and master’s students in Tanzania. In recognition of his contribution to postgraduate training and scientific development, he was appointed in 2013 as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Life Sciences at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST).

As Chief Executive Director from 2016 to 2026, Dr. Masanja provided a decade of dedicated leadership, helping to strengthen Ifakara’s scientific excellence, expand its research portfolio and partnerships, and reinforce its standing as one of Africa’s leading health research institutions. He was succeeded by Dr. Ally Olotu, who assumed the position of Chief Executive Director on 1 September 2026..#