The Government of Tanzania has welcomed plans to expand medical cooperation with Austria, describing the partnership as important in strengthening specialized healthcare services and improving training opportunities for Tanzanian professionals.
Tanzania expressed particular satisfaction with the existing collaboration between Benjamin Mkapa Hospital and the Medical University of Vienna, which has contributed to strengthening medical expertise and knowledge exchange.
The government is now encouraging the expansion of the partnership to other leading health institutions, including the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) and the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), with the aim of further improving specialized health services in the country.
The remarks were made by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation responsible for international cooperation, Ngwaru Maghembe, who represented the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, during diplomatic talks with Austria’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs responsible for political affairs, Hannah Liko.
The meeting was held on March 24, 2026, at the ministry’s sub-office in Dar es Salaam and focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in key sectors including health, education, tourism and investment.
Maghembe commended Austria for its continued support to Tanzania’s education sector, particularly through concessional loans and the implementation of e-learning projects in Zanzibar.
The projects are being implemented through the Austrian company eeeAustria GmbH, which supports the expansion of digital learning systems.
He also urged Austria to increase opportunities for Tanzanian students to pursue postgraduate and doctoral studies, particularly in fields such as information technology, agriculture and tourism.
Maghembe further welcomed the Global Gateway initiative by the European Union, saying the programme provides an opportunity to shift cooperation from traditional aid towards strategic investment and trade partnerships.
He said Tanzania plans to organise a Business and Investment Forum in the second quarter of 2026 to promote investment opportunities available under the country’s long-term development strategy, Tanzania Development Vision 2050.
For her part, Liko reaffirmed Austria’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Tanzania despite global political challenges. She said Austria remains ready to continue working with Tanzania in the tourism sector through knowledge and professional exchanges.
She also expressed Austria’s interest in supporting development projects in areas including energy.
During the talks, Tanzania encouraged Austria to consider opening a resident embassy in the country in order to improve coordination and implementation of joint development projects.
