Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has been urged to build a health system that can rely more on domestic resources, with the government also called upon to ensure increased funding translates into better services and measurable results for citizens.
The call was made on Monday, at the 13th Tanzania Health Summit in Dar es Salaam, where the Government said it was reducing reliance on external funding by increasing domestic revenue, strengthening Universal Health Insurance and promoting local production of medicines and health products.
The discussion raised questions about accountability, particularly whether increased domestic allocations are reaching health facilities and producing the intended results.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Tanzania Dr Alex Gasasira said the organisation’s support should focus on strengthening local systems rather than replacing the Government in delivering health services.
‘Our aim is to build capacity within the country, both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar. We want to strengthen institutions, including universities, to build a strong health system,’ he said.
Dr Gasasira also called for better coordination among development partners to ensure their support aligns with Government priorities.
The minister for Health Mohamed Mchengerwa, who opened the summit on behalf of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, said 74.2 percent of the government budget was financed by domestic revenue, while the Ministry of Health had been allocated Sh1.8 trillion for 2026/27.
He said thegovernment was also introducing new health financing sources, including levies on imported tobacco and sugar products to support the Universal Health Insurance Fund. The Government aims to increase local production of medicines and health products to 80 percent of national demand by 2030, Dr Mchengerwa said.
He said the Medical Stores Department had been directed to prioritise locally produced products that meet Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority standards.
African Public Health Foundation expert, Dr Ambrose Talisuna, said Africa would struggle to achieve health security while depending on external financing, medicines and medical supplies. He called for greater investment in research, innovation, local production and sustainable health financing. Laerdal Global Health chief executive, Karoline Myklebust Linde, said investment in technology should be matched by investment in health workers.
‘Digital programmes and artificial intelligence tools cannot replace skilled health workers,’ she said.
WomenLift Health East Africa programmes head, Judith Anyona, said women should have a greater role in decisions on health financing and resource allocation, noting that women make up a large proportion of the global health workforce but remain under-represented in senior leadership.
The summit is taking place amid declining development assistance, rising non-communicable diseases and growing pressure to build health systems that can be sustained through domestic resources and institutions.