Tanzania’s Minister of Health, Jenista Mhagama, has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) to enhance regional health development.
During a meeting with ECSA-HC Director General, Dr. Ntuli Kapologwe, on March 21, 2025, Minister Mhagama emphasized the importance of regional cooperation in tackling health challenges and improving healthcare services across member states.
She assured Dr. Kapologwe that Tanzania would continue working closely with ECSA-HC to strengthen public health systems and enhance professional capacity within the region.
Minister Mhagama highlighted the significance of fostering partnerships among ECSA-HC member countries to facilitate knowledge sharing and professional exchanges.
She stressed that coordinated regional efforts are essential in addressing emerging health threats that transcend national borders.
According to her, Tanzania remains dedicated to improving healthcare delivery through joint initiatives with ECSA-HC, particularly in areas such as disease prevention, medical innovation, and health system strengthening.
The Minister also emphasized the need to prioritize neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), respond effectively to health emergencies, and incorporate innovative healthcare solutions.
She pointed out that Tanzania is actively developing strategies to combat communicable and non-communicable diseases while ensuring the adoption of advanced medical technologies to improve healthcare outcomes.
“Innovation in healthcare and the application of new medical technologies are essential in improving service delivery. We must also intensify efforts to manage disease outbreaks and other pressing health issues affecting our region,” she said.
Dr. Kapologwe commended Minister Mhagama for her strong leadership in managing Tanzania’s health sector and reaffirmed ECSA-HC’s commitment to supporting the country’s health and nutrition agenda.
He assured that the organization would continue collaborating with Tanzania to implement regional health programs aimed at improving healthcare quality and accessibility.
He also stressed the importance of a collective response to disease outbreaks such as Mpox and Marburg, noting that ECSA-HC is leading efforts to coordinate disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and response mechanisms among member states.
"Our goal is to ensure that outbreak control measures are effectively implemented across the region. ECSA-HC will continue to work closely with Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mauritius, and other African countries to strengthen public health systems and prevent health crises,” said Dr. Kapologwe.
With Tanzania’s strong commitment and ECSA-HC’s continued support, the collaboration is expected to yield significant improvements in regional healthcare delivery and disease prevention strategies.