Govt boosts health budget to tackle funding gaps in disease control

DAR ES SALAAM: IN response to dwindling donor contributions in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS, and malaria, the government has increased its budget allocation for these critical health interventions from 140bn/- in the 2024/25 financial year to 159bn/- in the current fiscal year.

The move aims to strengthen the procurement of essential medicines and medical supplies, ensuring continued access to lifesaving healthcare services for vulnerable populations.

Speaking during a working session to review the Global Fund budget, Chief Medical Officer Dr Grace Magembe said the government had stepped in to fill the funding gap created by the withdrawal or reduction of support from several development partners.

“Many development partners have recently scaled down their contributions toward the treatment and control of TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria. The government has acted swiftly, allocating 54 million US dollars (about 140bn/-) in the 2024/25 financial year to ensure continued access to critical health services,” she said.

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Dr Magembe further disclosed that for the 2025/26 financial year, the government has committed an additional 60 million US dollars (about 159bn/-) to meet the increasing healthcare needs of vulnerable groups affected by these diseases.

“The overarching goal is to improve the quality of healthcare services for citizens across all regions,” she emphasised.

The session brought together a broad range of stakeholders from both within and outside the country, including representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG), the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health and the US Embassy.

Also in attendance were development partners from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Tanzania National Coordinating Mechanism (TNCM) and the Local Fund Agent (LFA).

According to Dr Magembe, the meeting’s main objective was to ensure that the use of available resources is aligned with pressing community health needs, particularly at a time when external funding for these priority areas is on the decline.

She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working closely with all stakeholders to bridge funding gaps and sustain critical programmes targeting the control and elimination of TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria.