Tanzania has officially approved its application for US$538.6 million (about TZS 1.5 trillion) in funding under the Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 (GC8) to support the country's fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, while strengthening the national health system between January 2027 and December 2029.
The funding request was endorsed by the Tanzania National Coordinating Mechanism (TNCM) during a special meeting in Dar es Salaam chaired by the Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (Policy, Parliament, Coordination and Persons with Disabilities), Dr Jim Yonazi, who also serves as TNCM Chairperson.
Dr Yonazi said preparations for the GC8 funding application began on March 13, 2026, and involved more than four months of consultations, national discussions, priority setting, proposal drafting, technical reviews and document verification.
He said the process was guided by the principles of inclusiveness, transparency, accountability and national ownership, with more than 270 stakeholders participating.
These included government ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, United Nations organisations, international organisations, civil society groups, the private sector, faith-based organisations, representatives of people living with HIV, communities at high risk of infection and health experts.
According to Dr Yonazi, Global Fund investments have played a significant role in supporting Tanzania's efforts to improve public health and wellbeing.
If approved by the Global Fund, the GC8 programme is expected to help prevent new HIV infections, expand access to antiretroviral therapy (ARVs), strengthen malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and improve the early detection and treatment of tuberculosis.
"The approval of this funding request reflects the strong collaboration and commitment of our stakeholders, who dedicated their time, expertise and resources to ensure the proposal addresses the country's priorities and the needs of affected communities," Dr Yonazi said.
He added that the endorsement marks an important milestone in Tanzania's commitment to eliminating the three diseases as public health threats while building a stronger, more resilient and sustainable health system.
Dr Yonazi also thanked the Global Fund Secretariat in Geneva, TNCM members and all stakeholders who contributed to the preparation and completion of the proposal, saying their collective efforts were instrumental in reaching this stage.
TNCM Executive Secretary Kent Pius also commended the TNCM leadership, the Global Fund and all participating stakeholders for their cooperation and commitment throughout the process.
He said TNCM will continue coordinating collaboration between the government, civil society, development partners, the private sector and international organisations to ensure Global Fund investments contribute to Tanzania's national and global targets of ending HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as major public health threats.
