The Government is seeking to address delays in payments, employment contracts and digital registration of Community Health Workers (CHWs) before expanding its integrated community health programme to 159 more councils across the country.
The Ministry of Health says lessons from the programme's first phase, which covered 25 councils in 12 regions, will inform improvements in implementation, particularly in the management of workers' contracts and payments.
Assistant Director for Health Promotion, Dr Rahma Hingora, said on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, that stronger coordination between government institutions, regional administrations and local authorities was necessary to ensure the programme delivers its intended benefits.
Speaking at a working session involving leaders and coordinators from the Ministry of Health, the Prime Minister's Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), regions and councils in Mtumba, Dodoma, Dr Hingora said the Government remained committed to bringing different community health worker initiatives under one coordinated system.
“Implementation of this programme is a long-term Government commitment, and there is no turning back on efforts to bring together various community health worker programmes into one integrated system coordinated and owned by the Government,” she said.
During the first phase, community health workers in the 25 councils were trained, registered and issued employment contracts. However, implementation encountered challenges, including delays in issuing contracts, payments to workers, incomplete documentation and delays in introducing the UCS system.
Dr Hingora said the shortcomings should provide an opportunity to improve the programme rather than undermine its implementation.
She called for greater use of digital contracts and stronger involvement of regional and local government authorities in overseeing payments to community health workers.
The concerns are expected to feature prominently in the working session, which seeks to assess progress, address implementation weaknesses and establish measures to ensure the programme's sustainability before its expansion to the remaining 159 councils.
The meeting will also review reports from the 12 participating regions and strengthen leaders' understanding of digital contracting and payment arrangements for community health workers.
Dr Hingora urged participants to engage openly in discussions, identify practical solutions and agree on clear responsibilities and timelines for addressing the challenges.
She said effective coordination among stakeholders, from national institutions to village, hamlet and street levels, would be critical to ensuring the programme succeeds.
Dr Hingora expressed optimism that the initiative would help Tanzania establish one of Africa's leading community health worker programmes.