Tanzania’s investment in health infrastructure, medical supplies and specialist services is beginning to pay off, with the number of foreign patients seeking treatment in the country more than doubling in three years.
The number of patients from outside Tanzania who came to the country for medical treatment rose from 5,705 in 2022 to 12,180 in 2025, according to the Ministry of Health.
Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health responsible for Medicines and Medical Devices, Emmanuel Tayari, said the increase reflected growing confidence in Tanzania’s capacity to provide specialised healthcare.
Mr Tayari made the remarks on August 21, 2026, on the sidelines of the 13th East African Regional Health Stakeholders’ Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Investment in the health sector has started to produce significant results. The number of patients from outside the country coming to Tanzania for treatment increased from 5,705 in 2022 to 12,180 in 2025,” he said.
The increase amounts to more than 113 percent, signalling growing demand for Tanzania’s medical services from patients across the region and beyond.
Mr Tayari said the government was continuing to invest in health facilities and equipment while expanding the pool of specialists and super-specialists capable of handling complex medical cases.
He said strengthening the country’s health workforce was critical to ensuring that investments in infrastructure translated into better services for Tanzanians and foreign patients.
“Investment in health professionals is an important part of ensuring that citizens and patients from outside the country receive quality, safe and effective services,” he said.
Mr Tayari also called for stronger links between health financing and the quality of services delivered, saying resources allocated to the sector should result in measurable improvements in patient care.
He said East African countries should strengthen cooperation in regulating healthcare services and medical products by developing more harmonised quality standards.
The move, he said, would help prevent substandard medicines and services from moving from one country to another.
“For example, a medicine may be rejected in one country because it does not meet the required standards, but later enter another country. East African countries therefore need to protect one another from substandard products and services,” Mr Tayari said.
He urged health stakeholders across East Africa to work together to raise standards and strengthen regulatory systems, arguing that regional cooperation was essential given the movement of people and medical products across borders.
“Business as usual is no longer acceptable,” he said, calling for practical and coordinated measures to improve healthcare quality across the region.
The growth in foreign patients comes as Tanzania seeks to strengthen specialised healthcare at home, potentially reducing the need for patients to travel abroad for advanced treatment while positioning the country as an emerging medical services hub in East Africa.
