Harare, 18 Sept. 2014:  On 12 September 2014, WHO Zimbabwe bade farewell to one of its long serving and  dedicated staff members who has been reassigned to WHO South Sudan. Dr Lincoln, Sunganayi Charimari, former NPO DPC in WCO Zimbabwe bade farewell to colleagues at an emotional farewell party held for him.

Speaker after speaker at the farewell function spoke of Dr Charimari’s humble nature which enabled him to interact with colleagues at different levels.  Dr Charimari was described as a great pillar of strength and the most experienced officer who over the years became a professional mentor for many in the Country Office.  Dr Midzi, MPN, echoed the same sentiments when he said, “Although he was one of us, Dr Charimari remained as one whom all of us looked up to as a fountain of sound technical knowledge whose wisdom mentored the majority of us.”

In his statement, WR Zimbabwe, Dr David Okello said while he was saddened at losing one of his most  experienced officers, he was also happy for Dr Charimari for getting the chance to grow professionally in South Sudan. Dr Okello described Dr Charimari as an invaluable link between WHO and the Ministry of Health and Child Care. “Whenever we needed to engage the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Lincoln was a  vital link between us and the Ministry and always got things moving,” he said . Dr Okello wished Dr Charimari well  as he assumed his new post and reminded  him that WCO Zimbabwe will always be his home and if he needed any support as he settled, the Country Office was only a phone call away.

Dr Charimari joined WHO in 2003 as a Malariologist, after gaining valuable experience within the Ministry of Health, and the private sector. In February 2004, he became NPO DPC, a post he held to date. As DPC, Dr Chariamri was very instrumental in the cholera outbreak of 2008 –2009, where he was part of the brains behind and co-chair of the the Cholera Command and Control Centre (C4), with the Ministry of Health and Child Care. The C4 was recognized as best practice and received an award from the Regional Director. It has since been replicated in many countries that have had outbreaks across Africa. Dr Charimari also became the first Zimbabwean to be deployed to Sierra Leone to offer technical support in the fight against  the on-going Ebola outbreak. Indeed, Zimbabwe’s loss is South Sudan’s gain.