Tanzania and the United States have agreed to accelerate discussions on a proposed bilateral health cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening health systems, expanding universal health coverage, and boosting local production of medical products.
The talks were held in Geneva between Tanzania’s Minister of Health, Mohamed Omary Mchengerwa, and the United States Global Health Advisor, Brad Smith.
Both sides described the discussions as constructive, saying they are committed to developing a practical and long-term framework that can strengthen cooperation in the health sector.
According to Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, the proposed agreement is designed as a “win-win” arrangement that could also serve as a model for other African countries.
It focuses on improving health security, enhancing financing systems, and supporting country-led reforms that are results-oriented and sustainable.
A key area of focus is Tanzania’s ongoing universal health insurance reforms under the 2023 Universal Health Insurance law.
The reforms aim to reduce out-of-pocket health spending, pool risks nationally, and expand access to healthcare services across the population.
The Tanzanian government said technical cooperation from the United States could help strengthen several areas, including insurance benefit design, actuarial systems, claims management, fraud control, and digital health systems integration.
Local production of medical products also featured prominently in the discussions. Tanzania emphasized the need to reduce reliance on imports by expanding domestic manufacturing of medicines, diagnostic tools, and other essential health commodities.
Officials said this would improve supply chain resilience and attract investment and technology transfer, including from U.S. companies.
The two sides also agreed that future cooperation should build on long-standing health partnerships, particularly programs such as PEPFAR, which has supported HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in Tanzania for more than two decades.
Other areas of collaboration include tuberculosis control, malaria programs, laboratory strengthening, and health workforce development.
Tanzania highlighted existing partnerships with the private sector as examples of what could be expanded further. One example cited was Abbott’s support for local production of rapid diagnostic test kits for diseases such as HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis.
Tanzania’s delegation was led by Minister Mchengerwa, accompanied by the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva, Abdallah Saleh Possi. The U.S. team included Michael Behan.
Both parties agreed that technical-level discussions should continue immediately to refine the framework and move toward a formal memorandum of understanding.
The next phase will focus on implementation mechanisms and identifying priority areas for cooperation.
Tanzania said it remains committed to a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement that supports national priorities while strengthening global health partnerships.
If finalized, the pact is expected to position Tanzania and the United States as key partners in developing a model for health system strengthening in Africa, combining insurance reform, local manufacturing, and long-term investment in health infrastructure.
