Tanzania, Africa CDC scale up health funding

ETHIOPIA: TANZANIA and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have stepped up efforts to reshape primary healthcare financing, with a new push focused on expanding investment in community based health systems across the continent.

The discussions in Ethiopia placed primary healthcare at the centre of strategies to achieve Universal Health Coverage and strengthen Africa’s long-term health security.

Health experts from Tanzania’s Ministry of Health and Africa CDC reviewed a wide agenda covering reform of community health worker systems, digital transformation through Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, workforce training, service delivery improvements, and increased domestic financing to sustain community health programmes.

Africa CDC Head of Community Health Division Dr Fidele Ngabo Gaga said Tanzania is emerging as a strong model in advancing community health systems and aligning with continental health priorities.

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He said the direction supports Africa’s goal of bringing quality healthcare closer to households and reducing pressure on hospitals.

Dr Gaga also highlighted President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s role as the African Union Champion for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, saying her leadership has strengthened momentum on primary healthcare reform.

The partnership supports the African Union target of deploying two million community health workers by 2030, aimed at widening access to basic health services across member states.