By Charles Mkoka
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — Tanzania has made notable progress in improving the availability of medicines and medical supplies nationwide, urged to sustain reforms across the health sector.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting on pharmaceuticals and medical devices, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Seif Shekalaghe, said coordinated efforts across the sector had strengthened supply systems compared to previous years.
“The availability of medicines and medical supplies has significantly improved due to the strengthening of the entire health sector,” Dr Shekalaghe said, noting that government support and enabling legislation had helped expand local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
He said the first stakeholders’ meeting held in 2018 marked eight pharmaceutical manufacturers, while the second meeting recorded 13 local factories, reflecting increased investor confidence in the sector.
Dr Shekalaghe also praised the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) for reducing the average medicine approval waiting period from 120 days to 60 days, a move expected to speed up access to essential drugs.
The meeting resolved to establish a special task force to fast-track implementation of agreed reforms and remove regulatory and operational bottlenecks within the pharmaceutical and medical devices industry.
Industry stakeholders, including factory owners and investors, raised operational and policy concerns during a moderated discussion, with government officials responding to questions on regulation, procurement and investment facilitation.
The chairperson of pharmaceutical manufacturers said government institutions had shown improved coordination but called for further policy refinements to strengthen systems and boost domestic production.
“The challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in local manufacturing capacity,” the chairperson said, urging the government to increase the share of locally produced medicines beyond the current 10 per cent.
Addressing the meeting, Minister for Health Mohammed Mchengerwa said the pharmaceutical and medical devices sector had become a strategic pillar of Tanzania’s healthcare system and broader economic development.
He said the second national meeting on pharmaceuticals demonstrated the government’s commitment to self-reliance in medicine production and long-term sector stability.
“We have convened this forum to establish an open and practical platform for honest dialogue, aimed at delivering concrete strategies to develop the pharmaceutical and medical devices sector,” Mchengerwa said.
The minister added that Tanzania aims to expand domestic production of advanced medicines, modernise existing formulations in line with technological advances, and position the country as a regional hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing, distribution and logistics in Africa.
As part of the reforms, the government has launched a Pharmaceutical Investment Acceleration Strategy to fast-track industry projects. A dedicated Pharmaceutical Investment Acceleration Taskforce was unveiled during the meeting.
“This task force will not only make decisions but will oversee implementation and ensure measurable results,” Mchengerwa said.
The deadline for submission of investment applications under the programme has been set for March 2, 2026.
The strategy also signals a stronger government preference for the procurement of locally manufactured pharmaceutical products, in line with national policy.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Medical Officer, leaders of pharmaceutical and medical devices manufacturers’ associations, the Deputy Minister for Health, senior ministry officials, regulatory authorities, factory owners and other stakeholders.