Tanzania is targeting 100 percent registration of households in the Universal Health Insurance programme by the 2028/29 financial year as the government seeks to strengthen domestic financing of healthcare and reduce reliance on external support.
Finance Minister Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar said the government was putting greater emphasis on domestic resources to finance healthcare as part of broader efforts to strengthen social services, invest in human capital and support inclusive economic transformation.
He made the remarks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he participated in a panel discussion of finance ministers on sustainable health financing ahead of the 76th Session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa.
The discussion focused on “Sustainable Health Financing: Financing Africa’s Health Future Amid Fiscal Constraints and Health Self-Reliance.”
Ambassador Omar said only about 10 percent of households had so far been registered in the universal health insurance programme, but the government was working to accelerate enrolment and achieve full household coverage within the next two years.
He said the government would cover insurance costs for poor and vulnerable households to ensure that inability to pay does not prevent people from accessing healthcare.
“We must make health financing a national priority and strengthen domestic sources of funding to ensure that essential services remain available to our people,” he said.
The minister identified economic growth, stronger domestic revenue collection, health-related taxes on products that pose health risks, efficient use of public funds, universal health insurance, private-sector investment and innovative financing mechanisms as key sources for sustainable health financing.
He also said the government was expanding the Health Equity Fund to improve access to healthcare for poor and vulnerable groups.
Deputy Health Minister Dr Florence Samizi said Tanzania had made progress in the health sector through increased budgetary allocations and investment in healthcare infrastructure.
She said health self-reliance should go beyond financing services to include building local capacity to produce medicines, diagnostic equipment and other essential medical technologies.
Dr Samizi urged the private sector to increase investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing, diagnostic services, specialist healthcare, medical technologies and digital health systems.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Professor Mohamed Janabi, said African countries needed to increase domestic investment in healthcare if they were to reduce dependence on imported medicines and external financing.
He identified three key priorities: strengthening primary healthcare, establishing local pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing capacity, and implementing universal health coverage.
Prof Janabi said about 80 percent of medicines required in Africa were imported from outside the continent, while some households were paying more than 70 percent of their healthcare costs directly out of pocket.
He called for increased private-sector investment in pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing, saying stronger local production would improve health security while creating opportunities for economic development.
The ministerial dialogue brought together health and finance ministers, development partners and regional leaders to discuss the financial pressures facing African countries as they work towards universal health coverage.
The participants examined challenges including declining external assistance, limited fiscal space and rising debt, while exploring ways to mobilise more domestic resources for healthcare.
Tanzania was also represented at the meeting by Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary and Commissioner for External Finance at the Ministry of Finance, Rished Bade, together with senior officials from the Ministry of Health.