Diabetes, BP consume 7pc of Tanzania health budget annually
What you need to know:
Prof Andrew Swai, the chairman of the Diabetes Association, said 22 per cent of Tanzanians were diagnosed with diabetes while 31 per cent had blood pressure.
Dar es Salaam. Diabetes and blood pressure alone consume seven per cent of the country's health budget, an expert on non communicable diseases (NCDs) has said.
That was revealed on Thursday, June 28, during the Mwananchi Thought Leadership Forum dubbed ‘Our Lifestyle, Our Health’.
Prof Andrew Swai, the chairman of the Diabetes Association, said 22 per cent of Tanzanians were diagnosed with diabetes while 31 per cent had blood pressure.
"About 20 per cent of funds in the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) will be required to contain the diseases among members of the fund," he said.
He said research conducted in1980 shows that diabetes at the villages stood at one per cent but the rate is nine per cent in 2018.
Speaking on cancer, he said study shows that the country had less than 3000 patients in 2006 and rose to 5,000 in 2011 before shooting to 50,000 in 2018.
"This has caused serious economic burden to the country," he said
