Govt mobilises regions to boost UHC uptake

DODOMA: THE government has decentralised supervision of the second phase of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) implementation to regional authorities in a renewed push to expand enrolment and strengthen public participation in the scheme.

Assistant Director for Policy, Research and Innovation in the Ministry of Health, Mr Tumainiel Macha, said the approach was aimed at strengthening stakeholder participation and involving local government authorities in mobilising communities.

He said the government is also engaging insurance agents, banks and mobile network operators to simplify enrolment. He added that community health workers will help educate residents and encourage more people to join.

Mr Macha was speaking recently in Dodoma during a special seminar organised by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to familiarise MPs with the second phase of the programme.

Mr Macha said lessons from the first phase have demonstrated the importance of involving more stakeholders. He said the second phase, which began on October 22, 2026, is set to involve regional committees responsible for coordinating implementation, organising public education meetings and assessing the readiness of health facilities to provide services.

“In the second phase of implementing Universal Health Coverage, we have decided to move this responsibility down to the regional level,” he said.

Mr Macha said the proportion of Tanzanians enrolled in health insurance had increased from eight per cent in 2023 to 11 per cent by November 2026. He said the government was targeting 25 million beneficiaries by July 2027, with each region and council assigned specific enrolment targets to guide implementation.

Citing Dodoma as an example, he said the region, which has eight councils, was expected to increase insurance coverage to 42 per cent during the second phase. Mr Macha urged MPs to use public and internal meetings to educate constituents, monitor enrolment progress in their respective areas and report challenges facing beneficiaries.

“We believe you are the representatives of the people. Through your positions, we ask you to become ambassadors of this programme. Make health insurance part of the agenda in your internal and public meetings,” he said.

During the previous phase, 201,376 out of 276,004 vulnerable households had been verified and issued with health insurance cards, representing 73 per cent of the target.

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The government also verified and financed health insurance coverage for elderly people and children living in residential care facilities and special homes.

Opening the seminar, Minister for Health Mohamed Mchengerwa said the second phase would focus on citizens able to pay for their own insurance, while the government would continue financing coverage for those unable to afford contributions.

He said the government was targeting 25 million beneficiaries by June 2027. However, he stressed that Universal Health Coverage des not mean every citizen would receive free insurance.

“Those who can afford it will contribute, while those who cannot will be supported by the government. No Tanzanian will be left out of this because they cannot contribute,” he said.

Mr Mchengerwa said citizens could enrol through NHIF or private health insurance companies approved by the government, using packages designed around their healthcare needs and ability to contribute.