Abdul Samad Abdulla

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Abdul Samad Abdulla
NIIV
Official portrait, 2012
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
5 March 2012 – 25 August 2013
PresidentMohamed Waheed Hassan
Preceded byAhmed Naseem
Succeeded byAsim Ahmed (acting)
Mariyam Shakeela (acting)
High Commissioner of the Maldives to Bangladesh
In office
2008–2012
PresidentMaumoon Abdul Gayoom
Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Waheed Hassan
Personal details
Born(1946-03-10)10 March 1946
Thinadhoo, Huvadhu Atoll, Maldives Sultanate (present-day Thinadhoo City, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives)
Died25 August 2013(2013-08-25) (aged 67)
Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore
Resting placeChoa Chu Kang Cemetery, Singapore
SpouseAmeena Ali
Children3, including Khadeeja

Abdul Samad Abdulla (10 March 1946 – 25 August 2013) was a Maldivian physician, diplomat, and politician, widely regarded as one of the first doctors in the Maldives. Over a career spanning medicine, public health, and international affairs, he served in senior positions with the World Health Organization (WHO)—including communicable-disease coordination in the SEARO region—and represented the Maldives at the United Nations General Assembly, later becoming the nation’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012 until his death in 2013.

He helped lay the foundations of the Maldives’ modern health-care system, directed national responses to major public-health crises in the 1970s and 1980s, and went on to represent the country abroad as High Commissioner to Bangladesh and Foreign Minister.

Early life and education

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Abdul Samad Abdulla was born on 10 March 1946 in Thinadhoo, Huvadhu Atoll, Maldives.[1] He was the son of Abdullah Moosa (Abdullah Katheeb) and the grandson of Hirihamaidhi Kaleyfaanu (Moosa Manikfaanu) — prominent figures in Maldivian business and politics. He was also the brother of Mohamed Latheef, a co-founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party and a leading campaigner for democracy in the Maldives.

He received his secondary education at Royal College, Colombo in Sri Lanka, and later pursued medical studies at the Leningrad Institute of Medicine in the former Soviet Union (now First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg), where he qualified as a physician.[2]

In 1984 he completed a master's degree in tropical diseases at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp in Belgium. His postgraduate research and thesis focused on optimising the use of health workers in communities lacking doctors and designing decentralised primary health-care systems.[2]

Medical and public-health career

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Returning to the Maldives in the 1970s, Samad Abdulla began his work in the Ministry of Health, as a practising physician and later as a senior public-health administrator. He was among the first to organise the distribution of health workers across island health facilities, and promoted community-based care models where cadred medical doctors were scarce.[3]

During the late 1970s under President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, he played an active part in health-sector reforms including expansion of immunisation programmes, establishment of basic healthcare in all atolls, and development of a structured primary health-care system. Efforts also included decentralising services by equipping atoll health centres with trained staff and doctors.

He contributed to initiatives such as training programmes for traditional birth attendants (TBAs) to strengthen maternal and child health, disease-eradication projects (targeting tuberculosis, leprosy, HIV/AIDS) in partnership with WHO, and expanded immunisation campaigns that contributed to declines in maternal and child mortality.[4][5][6][7]

He also took roles with the World Health Organization, including service as Coordinating Officer of Communicable Disease Control in the South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO).[8]

Diplomatic career

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In 2008, he was appointed High Commissioner of the Maldives to Bangladesh, serving until 2012 and strengthening co-operation in education, health, and trade.[9]

On 5 March 2012, he was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, succeeding Ahmed Naseem.[10] As minister, he sought to rebuild the Maldives’ international standing following the 2012 political transition, representing the country at the United Nations General Assembly, SAARC Ministerial Meetings, and numerous bilateral forums.[11] He also served twice as acting Minister of Health during temporary vacancies in 2012 and 2013.[12]

Illness and death

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In August 2013, while in Singapore for kidney treatment, Samad Abdulla developed chest pains following a dialysis session and was admitted to Mount Elizabeth Hospital, where he later suffered a heart attack and died at 01:05 a.m. on 25 August 2013, aged 67.[13]

The government declared a three-day period of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast.[14] His funeral was held in Singapore following noon prayers, and he was buried at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery; funeral prayers in absentia were observed across the Maldives.[15][16]

Honours and legacy

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President Waheed described his death as a national tragedy. Later that year, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Izzuddin, one of the Maldives’ highest state honours.[17]

The Thinadhoo Regional Hospital was renamed the Dr Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital (ASMH) in recognition of his lifelong contributions to medicine and public service.[18]

Samad Abdulla is remembered as a pioneer of Maldivian medicine, a principal architect of the country’s early health infrastructure, and a public servant who bridged the nation’s formative years of health development and its emergence on the international stage.

Personal life

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He was married to Ameena Ali, and the couple had three children.[19] Friends and colleagues described him as dedicated, modest, and deeply committed to the well-being of the Maldivian people.

References

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  1. ^ "ޑރ އަބްދުލް ސަމާދު އަބްދުލްލާ". Sandhaanu (in Divehi). Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Dr. Abdul Samad Abdulla, Minister of Foreign Affairs". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maldives). Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Consultancy Services for Disaster Mitigation in the Maldives (Part Two)" (PDF). UNCTAD / James Lewis Consultancy. 1982. p. 5. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  4. ^ "Health Master Plan 2006–2015" (PDF). Ministry of Health / WHO. 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  5. ^ "Health Master Plan 2016–2025" (PDF). Ministry of Health. 2016. p. 8. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  6. ^ "Maldives Human Development Report 2001" (PDF). UNDP. 2001. pp. 48–49. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Maldives – Data". UNICEF Data. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  8. ^ "We serve the people of Maldives, says new Foreign Minister". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maldives). 5 March 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  9. ^ "The High Commission". High Commission of the Maldives in Bangladesh. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  10. ^ "President Dr. Waheed appointed Dr. Abdul Samad as new Foreign Minister". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maldives). 5 March 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  11. ^ "General Assembly President Meets Foreign Minister of Maldives". United Nations. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  12. ^ "President appoints Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla as the acting Minister of Health". The President’s Office. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  13. ^ "Foreign Minister Samad has Passed Away". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maldives). 25 August 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  14. ^ "Maldives has lost a great man – President Waheed". The President’s Office. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  15. ^ "Late Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla laid to rest". The President’s Office. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  16. ^ "MFA Press Statement: Passing of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives Dr Abdul Samad Abdullah". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore). 25 August 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  17. ^ "President Waheed Confers Nishaan Izzuddeen Izzathuge Verikan on Late Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla". The President’s Office. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  18. ^ "About Us". Dr. Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  19. ^ "Late Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla laid to rest". The President’s Office (Maldives). 25 August 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2025.