Dar es Salaam. The government has unveiled plans to expand the health sector workforce, modernise medical training and integrate digital technologies as it prepares the healthcare system for a growing population and emerging health challenges.
Stakeholders warn that shortages of skilled professionals, unequal distribution of health workers, migration and rising disease burdens could slow efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) unless urgent reforms are implemented.
Speaking during the 4th Human Resources for Health Conference, the director of Human Resource Development in the ministry of Health, Dr Saitore Laizer, said the government was implementing a comprehensive strategy to ensure Tanzanians have access to competent and fairly distributed health professionals.
“Our goal is to ensure that every Tanzanian, regardless of where they live, can access quality healthcare delivered by skilled professionals,” she said.
Dr Laizer said the government plans to increase the number of health workers by expanding training capacity and reviewing curricula to equip graduates with skills needed to address current and future healthcare challenges.
“We are not only increasing student enrolment but also improving what is taught so that our graduates are prepared for emerging diseases, new technologies and changing healthcare needs,” she said.
She said the government was also increasing investment in specialist and super-specialist medical training to bring advanced healthcare services closer to communities.
The ministry is strengthening evidence-based workforce planning through the Human Resource for Health Information System and the Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) tool to guide deployment decisions, she noted.
“Today, we have data that allows us to place the right people in the right facilities based on actual workload,” Dr Laizer said.
She added that Tanzania was preparing Health Labour Market Analysis reports to guide long-term workforce planning and was promoting continuous professional development among healthcare workers.
Digital transformation is also a key part of the strategy, with the government expanding electronic health records to enable patients to access seamless care across different levels of health facilities.
Dr Laizer said the use of artificial intelligence and data-driven planning would improve decision-making, workforce management and patient care.
Save the Children Human Resources for Health expert Rahel Sheiza said Africa could face a shortage of 6.1 million health workers by 2040 if current trends continue.
She said the challenge was not only producing more graduates but also retaining professionals and creating enough employment opportunities.
“We are training health workers, but we are also losing many through migration while others remain unemployed because sufficient jobs are not being created,” she said.
Health Specialist Dr Siana Nkya said future healthcare would increasingly focus on prevention, prediction and personalised treatment, requiring professionals to understand areas such as genomics and precision medicine.
East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community Executive Director Dr Ntuli Kapologwe said countries must rethink how they prepare health workers for changing demographics and technological advances.
He said Africa’s growing young population, urbanisation and rural healthcare needs would require a stronger and better-equipped workforce.
Sahara Ventures Chief Executive Officer Jumanne Mtambalike said technology should complement healthcare professionals rather than replace them.
“Artificial intelligence should enhance human intelligence, not substitute it,” he said.
He added that future health professionals would need to combine technological skills with compassion, empathy and sound clinical judgement.
