Mohamed Mchengerwa has launched the national “Know Your Numbers” campaign, urging health workers to place humanity, compassion and professionalism at the centre of service delivery as the country steps up efforts to curb non-communicable diseases.
Speaking in Mwanza on May 4, 2026 during a high-level meeting that brought together health workers from the Lake Zone alongside citizens from across the country, the minister said quality healthcare must be defined not only by treatment but by the way patients are received, handled and supported.
He described health workers as frontline defenders of human wellbeing, carrying the burden of patients’ fears and expectations.
He noted that many patients arrive at health facilities in distress, and it is the responsibility of providers to ensure they leave reassured, respected and hopeful.
Mchengerwa stressed that compassionate care is the starting point of effective treatment, adding that prevention remains the backbone of a strong health system.
He outlined key pillars of quality service delivery, including accountability, hygiene, effective communication and treating every patient with dignity.
The “Know Your Numbers” campaign, he said, is designed to encourage early health screening and awareness among citizens, enabling timely intervention and reducing the rising burden of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
He warned that economic transformation cannot be achieved without a healthy population, noting that Tanzania’s development ambitions depend heavily on the wellbeing of its people.
He highlighted the Lake Zone as a strategic economic area, underscoring the need to safeguard public health to sustain productivity and growth.
Linking his remarks to the national Development Vision 2050, the minister said the country aims to build a resilient, healthy and economically active population, with the health sector playing a central role in delivering that vision.
He further noted that development should not be judged solely by physical infrastructure, but by how effectively essential services particularly healthcare reach citizens at the grassroots level.
Mchengerwa said the health sector continues to operate under national policies, the Chama Cha Mapinduzi manifesto and international commitments, calling on health workers to remain committed to excellence and public service.
He concluded by underscoring that true quality care goes beyond medicine, placing human dignity at its core.
“Quality service is treatment even before medication,” he said.
