The construction of a new cancer treatment centre in Mbeya is expected to transform access to specialised cancer services in the Southern Highlands, reducing the need for patients to travel to Dar es Salaam for treatment.
The government says the facility will also serve patients from neighbouring countries, positioning Mbeya as a potential regional hub for cancer care.
The Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Hamad Nyembea, said this on August 15, 2026, during an inspection of the project by members of the Ocean Road Cancer Institute Board.
Dr Nyembea said cancer remained a major public health challenge, with about 20 million new cases recorded globally in 2024 and 9.7 million deaths attributed to the disease.
In Tanzania, he said, about 45,000 new cancer cases are estimated to be diagnosed each year, while approximately 30,000 people die from the disease.
“About 50 percent of cancers can be prevented, while others can be detected early,” Dr Nyembea said, highlighting the importance of prevention, screening and timely treatment.
He said the government was expanding cancer infrastructure and investing in health workers’ skills to improve early diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Nyembea said the establishment of regional cancer centres was intended to address one of the key challenges facing patients—having to travel long distances to access specialised treatment.
The Mbeya centre will serve residents of the Southern Highlands while also providing an alternative for patients from neighbouring countries.
“Having regional centres such as Mbeya, with another one expected to start in Arusha in October, as well as planned centres in Kigoma and Mtwara, will help us detect cancer earlier and treat more people,” he said.
Construction of the Arusha centre is expected to begin in October, while preparations for projects in Kigoma and Mtwara are also underway.
The expansion marks a shift from a system in which comprehensive cancer services were largely concentrated at the Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Dar es Salaam.
Cancer services were later expanded to the Lake Zone through Bugando Medical Centre, with the government now seeking wider geographical coverage.
Ocean Road Cancer Institute Executive Director Dr Diwani Msemo said the development of regional centres was part of the government’s broader strategy to decentralise cancer services.
He said Ocean Road had been tasked under the national cancer control strategy to support the expansion of specialised and advanced cancer services across the country.
According to Dr Msemo, more than TZS 60 billion has been invested through the institute in improving cancer-care infrastructure.
For the Mbeya project alone, he said, the government had invested about TZS 11 billion, with completion expected in January 2027.
Beyond serving Tanzanian patients, Dr Msemo said the facility could help develop medical tourism by attracting patients from Malawi, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This could enable patients from the neighbouring countries to access specialist cancer services in Mbeya rather than travelling to Dar es Salaam or seeking treatment farther afield.
Project contractor Ally Mtigita said construction, which began in 2024, had reached 57 percent completion.
He said the project was valued at approximately TZS 10.4 billion and was scheduled for completion in 2027.
“The works are progressing well, and we are focused on ensuring the project is completed on schedule so that wananchi can begin receiving services,” he said.
Once operational, the centre is expected to provide cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up services.
For patients in Mbeya and the wider Southern Highlands, the facility could reduce travel costs and delays while improving access to early diagnosis and specialist treatment.
The expansion of regional cancer centres also reflects a growing focus on bringing specialised healthcare closer to communities, particularly as Tanzania continues to confront the rising burden of cancer.
