Tanzania reviews its 2007 Health Policy to ensure it copes with the modernized health sector
DODOMA: THE Ministry of Health has reviewed the 2007 Health Policy to ensure that it responds to changes in the health sector as well as the current and future needs of Tanzanian citizens.
Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Florence Samizi, said this on August 14, 2026, while representing the Minister for Health, Mohamed Mchengerwa, as she presented a report on the 2007 Health Policy and the Health Services Management Act to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and HIV/AIDS Affairs at the Parliament Buildings in Dodoma.
Dr Samizi said implementation of the 2007 Health Policy had helped bring health services closer to the public, with approximately 80 per cent of Tanzanians now able to access health services within a distance of five kilometres. She said the implementation of the policy had also contributed to a decline in maternal mortality and deaths among children under five.
She said the Government intends to establish a system to oversee the quality of health services, protect patients’ rights and ensure that every citizen has equitable access to healthcare regardless of their circumstances. She added that challenges arising during the provision of services would be addressed in accordance with established procedures and laws.
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The Deputy Minister said the Government would continue strengthening professional regulation and accountability among healthcare workers to ensure that professional misconduct is addressed in accordance with the law and established procedures, while safeguarding patients’ rights.
Elaborating on the report, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Grace Magembe, said one of the areas that had been improved was the financing of healthcare services through implementation of the Universal Health Insurance Act. She said the Government had also established arrangements to cover healthcare costs for citizens who cannot afford to pay for such services.
Dr Magembe said the Ministry had begun the process of establishing a stronger legal framework to regulate the provision of health services in the country. This includes formally recognising the authority of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer and establishing a body responsible for overseeing the quality and accreditation of health services. She said the Ministry had received Members of Parliament’s views, recommendations and contributions on the Health Policy and the Health Services Management Act, which would be taken into account in the ongoing reform process.
