Tanzania bolsters healthcare services for people with rare diseases in line with Universal Health coverage

DODOMA: THE Tanzanian government has continued to strengthen healthcare services for people living with rare diseases by improving disease diagnosis, access to medicines and treatment, as well as enhancing the capacity of health professionals to ensure timely services in line with the principles of Universal Health Coverage.

Deputy Minister for Health Dr Florence Samizi, representing Minister for Health Mohamed Mchengerwa, said this today, August 13, 2026, while presenting a statement on the impact of rare diseases before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and HIV/AIDS at the Parliament premises in Dodoma.

Dr Samizi commended and thanked President Samia Suluhu Hassan for spearheading efforts to address rare diseases by allocating funds for diagnosis, screening and the training of specialist and sub-specialist doctors to help expand access to specialised services at lower levels of the health system.

“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a rare disease is a health condition that affects fewer than one in 2,000 people, while globally there are more than 7,000 rare diseases affecting more than 300 million people,” Dr Samizi said.

She said in Tanzania, rare diseases are estimated to affect between one million and three million people, including sickle cell disease, haemophilia, certain immune system disorders and diseases affecting the nervous and muscular systems.

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“Tanzania is estimated to have approximately 14,000 children born with sickle cell disease every year, while between 15 and 20 per cent of Tanzanians carry the genes responsible for the disease. This highlights the importance of continuing to strengthen services for people affected by the condition,” Dr Samizi said.

She further said the government had improved health information systems, including DHIS2 and GhoTHOMIS, to strengthen the collection and monitoring of patient data.

The government is also encouraging research into rare diseases while expanding rehabilitation services, palliative care and psychological support for affected patients and their families.

Dr Samizi said rare diseases can have significant health, social and economic consequences due to delayed diagnosis, high treatment costs and shortages of specialised health professionals.

She said continued investment in early diagnosis, specialised treatment, health information systems and the training of healthcare professionals would be critical to ensuring people living with rare diseases receive appropriate care in a timely manner.