Tanzania Health Summit becomes key platform for healthcare innovation

Dar es Salaam. From modest beginnings, the Tanzania Health Summit (THS) has grown into a force shaping the national health agenda, bringing together leading minds to devise solutions for the country’s most pressing medical challenges.

The 12th THS 2025, held from October 1 to 3 in Dar es Salaam, drew more than 1,500 participants from within and outside Tanzania, underscoring its stature as a platform for innovation, collaboration, and reform.

Speaking to The Citizen on Friday, October 3, 2025, THS Board Chairperson, Dr Chakou Halfani Tindwa, said the initiative has become a driver of change in the health sector.

“We have become a catalyst for technology adoption in hospitals, for stronger scientific collaboration, and for development projects,” he said.

Established during the Kikwete administration and sustained under Presidents Magufuli and Samia Suluhu Hassan, THS has served as a platform for knowledge exchange and accelerated improvements in healthcare delivery.

According to Dr Tindwa, THS has had a tangible impact on cost, quality, and access.

Stakeholder participation has risen sharply, with numbers climbing from around 500 in its early years to between 1,500 and 1,700 annually today.

International engagement has also expanded, from 15 foreign delegates at the start to about 300 this year, including 11 ambassadors.

“This shows how the summit has distinguished itself,” he said, noting that government support reflects recognition of its value.

Capacity building is a key pillar of THS: “Every year, we train over 100 people. This year, we trained 150, who will return to rural districts and become leaders in their health systems.”

By investing in people, the summit ensures that improvements extend to remote areas, not only Dar es Salaam.

This year’s summit aligned with a broader government drive to digitise healthcare.

At the opening, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr Seif Shekalaghe, announced that a Digital Health Strategy 2025–2030 is being prepared.

The strategy will integrate artificial intelligence, safeguard data privacy, and expand digital literacy among health workers.

“Digital innovation will transform the health sector and help save lives,” he said.

Dr Shekalaghe linked the summit’s theme, Harnessing Data Utilisation and Technologies to Accelerate Universal Health Coverage, to Tanzania’s goal of ensuring equitable access to healthcare.

“Data and technology are no longer luxuries in healthcare but indispensable tools,” he stressed.

Experts agreed that THS has become vital in aligning health policy with practice. Public health specialist and digital health advocate, Dr Eunis Mremi, described the summit as a bridge between different stakeholders.

“This summit provides technicians, clinicians, policymakers, and donors with a shared space. That alignment is vital if we are to scale innovations, especially in rural districts,” she said.

Health systems economist, Mr Juma Mwakyusa, highlighted THS’s role in tackling fragmentation.

“Silos remain a persistent challenge. When NGOs, hospitals, and governments meet under one roof, we can harmonise digital systems, standards, data definitions, and procurement plans. That is what THS enhances,” he said.

A major achievement has been advancing interoperability, allowing hospital systems, laboratories, logistics, and health information platforms to communicate seamlessly.

This enhances data‑driven planning, reduces duplication, and improves resource efficiency

Operating as a non-profit, THS’s mission is to promote healthcare for disadvantaged communities.

Over the years, it has grown into Tanzania’s largest annual health platform. Its stature, according to Dr Tindwa, has given it legitimacy and increasing self-sustainability, with local contributions and revenue now covering more of its costs.

“We are not just convening. We are building leaders, connecting innovators, and improving services across the country,” he said.

If its momentum is sustained, Tanzania’s health sector, and the people it serves, stand to gain significantly.