 |
| Newly appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Grace Elias Magembe, takes the oath of office at State House in Dar es Salaam. PHOTO: Ikulu Mawasiliano |
Dar es Salaam – Dr. Grace Elias Magembe has emerged as one of Tanzania's most influential public health leaders after being appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in late June 2026, capping a career spanning clinical medicine, public health management and health policy.
A medical doctor by training, Dr. Magembe has been a central figure in Tanzania's health leadership for several years, serving as Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and later as Deputy Permanent Secretary responsible for Health in the President's Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI), before being appointed Chief Medical Officer in January 2025.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Magembe has served as District Medical Officer for Temeke, Regional Medical Officer for Dar es Salaam, Director of Curative Services at the Ministry of Health, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Health at TAMISEMI, Chief Medical Officer, and now Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health.
In those roles, she oversaw national clinical guidelines, disease surveillance, health sector reforms and emergency outbreak responses.
Her appointment as Permanent Secretary marks the latest step in a distinguished public service career and places her at the centre of Tanzania's efforts to achieve universal health coverage, strengthen local pharmaceutical production and modernise the country's health systems.
One of Dr. Magembe's most significant mandates is implementing President Samia's directive for Tanzania to attain 60 percent self-sufficiency in medicines and medical supplies by 2030.
The government is also seeking to attract foreign investment into local vaccine manufacturing to reduce reliance on imports and improve resilience against future health emergencies.
As Permanent Secretary, she is expected to play a leading role in coordinating these efforts and ensuring the country's health sector can sustainably meet domestic demand.
Before she was appointed Permanent Secretary, Dr. Magembe had built a reputation as one of Tanzania's leading public health professionals, serving in several senior positions across the health sector while championing reproductive, maternal and child health.
She previously served as Programme Manager for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health at Amref Health Africa Tanzania, where she helped advance programmes aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality.
In June 2026, she directed regional and district authorities to integrate the achievements of the UK-funded Scaling Up Family Planning (SuFP) programme into local government budgets following the programme's conclusion.
According to development partners, the programme helped avert thousands of maternal deaths and millions of unintended pregnancies during its implementation.
Dr. Magembe has also been a key advocate for digital health reforms and has championed the integration of health information systems to enable real-time data collection and analysis, a move seen as critical to improving planning and service delivery.
She has additionally promoted telemedicine and digital training programmes in collaboration with international institutions, including Aga Khan University.
A long-serving public health practitioner, Dr. Magembe was among the clinicians who helped establish Tanzania's early HIV care and treatment programmes more than two decades ago.
She later played a key role in managing disease outbreaks, including responses to then (2000's) cholera outbreaks in Dar es Salaam, the COVID 19 global pandemic, and Marburg virus disease outbreaks in northwestern Tanzania, contributing to efforts that contained the outbreaks within weeks.
Her work has also extended to expanding services for sickle cell disease and haemophilia, including efforts to decentralise treatment and improve access to specialised care.
She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, a Master of Public Health and a Master of Business Administration from Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute.
She has served on several national and international boards, including the Ifakara Health Institute and the Tanzania Health Summit, reflecting her growing influence in regional and global health governance.
