Tanzania allocates Sh15.7 billion to bolster financing of NCDs

Launching CCM’s campaigns on August 28, 2025, President Hassan said her leadership would prioritise the implementation of the National Development Vision 2050.

She outlined 10 priorities to be delivered within her first 100 days if re-elected, including financing specialised treatment for NCDs.

She pledged that her government would cover 100 percent of specialised treatment and diagnostic services for underprivileged citizens suffering from cancer, kidney disease, heart conditions, diabetes, orthopaedic complications, and neurological disorders.

“Within the same 100 days, we will also finance specialised medical treatment and diagnostic services for underprivileged citizens suffering from non-communicable diseases. These are high-cost illnesses that many low-income citizens have been unable to afford,” she said.

To strengthen service delivery and improve maternal and child health, the President also promised to employ 5,000 health workers within 100 days, including nurses and midwives.

The Citizen assesses what has been done so far, how much funding has been allocated, where it is going, and whether citizens are already seeing tangible results.

Speaking on Monday, February 2, 2026, during a press conference with editors and journalists from various media outlets in the country, including community radio stations, Health Minister Mohammed Mchengerwa said the government was making significant investments to ensure poor patients access care without financial barriers.

“This is a message of modern liberation. A nation that invests in specialisation and expertise declares that the lives of its citizens will not be determined by luck or distance. A nation that says ‘the underprivileged must receive care without financial barriers’ is making a moral statement,” he said.

“Specialised treatment is not a luxury; it is a matter of national dignity. Protecting those without means is not charity but a duty of a humane state,” he added.

Providing further clarification, the Director of Policy, Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Health, Dr Tumainiel Macha, said that within the 100 days since November 5, 2025, the government had developed guidelines for identifying underprivileged citizens.

This was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups; the Prime Minister’s Office; the Office for Persons with Disabilities; the Prime Minister’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government; and the Tanzania Social Action Fund (Tasaf).

He said that after verification, eligible individuals would receive government-paid basic insurance coverage worth Sh150,000.

Among them, those suffering from NCDs will be supported through a special fund established by law to finance specialised and super-specialised care for the underprivileged.

“At present, the system has allocated Sh41 billion to register and cover the underprivileged. Fourteen per cent of all funds collected must go toward supporting them. Sh6.7 billion has already been set aside to cover heart surgery, dialysis, and hip procedures, and this is outside the main government budget,” he said.

Dr Macha explained that patients must follow the referral system, starting at dispensaries, then health centres, district hospitals, regional referral hospitals, zonal hospitals, and finally national hospitals.

“The Treasury has already released the Sh6.7 billion, which is available, and in our government budget there is an additional Sh9 billion that will continue to support the underprivileged. The government is committed; no poor patient has been abandoned,” he said.

When asked about citizens who do not fall under exemption categories, Dr Macha said national health policy requires that every citizen receive treatment regardless of their ability to pay.

“For example, if a hip procedure costs Sh18 million and a patient at MOI can afford Sh9 million or Sh5 million, government policy requires the state to cover the remaining amount. Even for insured patients, if treatment costs exceed their coverage, the government must step in. These exemptions are provided as a matter of policy,” he explained.

According to Dr Macha, the government has also invested heavily in NCD care by installing dialysis machines in every regional hospital, expanding cancer treatment services to all zonal hospitals, installing radiotherapy machines, and increasing public awareness education.

CT scan machines have also been installed in referral hospitals to enable early detection of NCDs, alongside training specialists and super-specialists through the Samia Fund.

The Tanzania Medical Association (MAT) has supported the move, describing it as a major step in helping citizens who previously could not afford treatment.

MAT President, Dr Mugisha Nkoronko praised the political will of the current administration, especially the introduction of universal health insurance, which he said would transform the country’s health system.

“However, we have not yet witnessed actual service delivery to even one citizen. We would be happy to see more practical implementation beyond statements. We urge faster action so that the President’s vision becomes a fulfilled reality,” he said.

What citizens say

Following these developments, citizens have expressed mixed reactions, many with renewed hope, while others say they are still waiting to see tangible implementation.

Elderly couple, Mr and Mrs Samweli James from Mawelewele, Iringa, confirmed they had registered at the ward office as part of the medical waiver process and are awaiting feedback.

A resident of Luhota ward in Iringa District Council, Mr Ivan Njako, 37, said he is eagerly waiting for the waiver process to begin, as he is among the expected beneficiaries, noting that he has been undergoing dialysis twice a week since June last year.

“I was told that for now I can receive waivers for medication and consultation, but I still have to cover dialysis costs myself with support from relatives and well-wishers,” he said.

Yondo Mlula, 50, from Kitayawa village in Iringa Rural, said that in her area, the current waiver system covers treatment and tests for patients aged 15 and below and seniors aged 60 and above.

She added that residents had been informed that registration of poor households would begin soon.