The Tanzanian government has underscored the critical role of traditional medicine in boosting the country’s pharmaceutical industry and driving economic development.
Health Minister Mohamed Mchengerwa emphasized that the future of traditional medicine should no longer remain at the margins of the health system or the economy.
Instead, it must form an integral part of the national strategy to establish pharmaceutical factories, generate employment, promote research, safeguard indigenous knowledge, and expand the contribution of the health sector to the nation’s income.
Speaking at a meeting with traditional medicine experts in Dodoma today, March 25, 2026, under the theme “Strengthening Evidence-Based Traditional Medicine Services,” Minister Mchengerwa said the Sixth Phase Government, under President Dkt. Samia Suluhu Hassan, has prioritized building an industrial economy, strengthening domestic production, and reducing reliance on imported goods.
“The pharmaceutical sector is strategically important. We need the capacity to produce our own medicines at recognized standards of quality and safety while ensuring competitiveness that allows Tanzania to serve local, regional, and international markets,” Minister Mchengerwa said.
He highlighted that the country’s pharmaceutical vision should extend beyond modern medicine to include traditional remedies, nutritional supplements, and health products derived from Tanzania’s rich natural resources.
“Tanzania is blessed with immense biodiversity, deep-rooted traditional knowledge, and generations of experience in delivering traditional medicine,” the Minister said, adding that these resources represent a national asset.
Minister Mchengerwa stressed that traditional medicine should not remain in small-scale, low-value production. Instead, it should be transformed into a platform for industrial output, innovation, commerce, and job creation through formal, safe, and productive systems.
The government’s approach aims to integrate traditional medicine into mainstream healthcare and national economic strategies, ensuring its growth is both scientifically validated and commercially viable, thereby contributing to Tanzania’s broader development agenda.
