On June 3, 2024, two health economists from the Ifakara Health Institute, Drs Peter Binyaruka and August Joachim, took part in a crucial joint meeting with the Tanzania Ministry of Health and development partners to discuss issues related to the implementation of the Universal Health Insurance Act No. 13 of 2023. 

Held in Dar es Salaam at the Ministry offices located within the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), the meeting was chaired by the  Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr. John Jingu, and Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Prof. Tumaini Nagu.

In November 2023, H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania signed the Universal Health Insurance Bill into law. This landmark legislation aims to ensure health coverage for all Tanzanians, especially those from lower income brackets. Learn more about this here.

The meeting focused on the best ways to increase membership in health insurance schemes and ensure the sustainability of these schemes in providing services to members and their beneficiaries. The Permanent Secretary referred to this meeting as the first meeting among many others to come until a clear roadmap for implementing the UHI in Tanzania is drawn.

During the meeting, the CMO expressed that the government has strengthened the provision of health services by increasing the number of centers and installing equipment and medical supplies in the centers. The current challenge is for citizens to access health services without falling into poverty, which can be achieved by ensuring that citizens enroll in the health insurance system.

Speaking on the significance of Ifakara’s presence at the meeting, Dr Binyaruka said that it was quite important to have representatives from research institutions like Ifakara who have worked on various research studies around health insurance including the Community Health Fund (CHF) scheme. 

He added “The two of us, as Ifakara health economists, were able to share our evidence-based recommendations regarding key considerations towards the UHI implementation in Tanzania. It was with great honor to see our work and experience are needed to inform health reforms in Tanzania. As this marks just the beginning, we are looking forward to continuing providing inputs and recommendations for a better and smooth implementation of the UHI in Tanzania.”