We, at the Ifakara Health Institute, convey deepest condolences to the Catholic Church in Tanzania, the clergy, religious, and the entire Catholic faithful following the passing of Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, who died on 19 February 2026 in Dar es Salaam at the age of 81, while receiving care at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute.

Cardinal Pengo was a towering spiritual leader whose life of service shaped the moral and social fabric of Tanzania for decades. As Archbishop of Dar es Salaam from 1992 to 2019, he was widely respected for his humility, wisdom, and steadfast calls for peace, unity, and justice. His leadership strengthened the Church and inspired countless individuals across faiths and generations.

70 years of impact – when faith met science

For the Ifakara Health Institute, this moment of mourning carries a profound historical resonance. Our roots are deeply intertwined with the Catholic Church’s enduring commitment to health and human dignity. In the 1950s, the late Edgar Maranta, the first Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Ifakara, invited Rudolf Geigy to establish a research presence in Ifakara.

That visionary act—supported by land and goodwill from the Catholic Church and closely linked to St. Francis Hospital Ifakara (one of our long-standing partners in the Ifakara Cluster)—laid the foundation for what would become the Ifakara Health Institute you see today.

Seventy years on, as Ifakara marks its anniversary, we remain guided by those same values of service, compassion, and scientific excellence in the service of vulnerable communities—values long championed by the Catholic Church and exemplified by leaders such as Cardinal Pengo.

May he rest in peace.