Healthcare in Tanzania
[7] In recent years, there has been a growing demand for access to high-quality and affordable care for all, thus the government is committed to respond with a process of developing health financing strategy[8] is underway since early 2013.
An inter-ministerial steering committee has been developed, composed of key ministries and department to ensure that the proposed reforms meet the needs of the population.
Improving the prepayment mechanisms are the main agenda in the development of the strategy, which is assumed to be a potential facilitator in the progress towards UHC.
[9] It marked the start of a series of health sector reforms with the intention of increasing universal access to social services to the poor and those living in marginalized rural areas.
Followed by the Government banning private-for-profit medical practice in 1977[10] and took on the task of providing health services free of charge.
[23] Direct payment can lead to high level of inequity, and in most cases denying the poorest access to needed health care.
The only pressing issue with CHF which it faces to date is low enrollment rate and early drop out in membership and hence a need for a more well-structured system which will be centrally coordinated for efficiency hence the coming of National Health Insurance Fund, NHIF.
But further down the lane much progress was achieved, and this was a big milestone in healthcare financing in the country which is pooling together of resources from non-public servants and private individuals into the scheme.
In Tanzania a lot of health policies have established a clear objective of attaining primary healthcare for all.
The Medical Stores Department (MSD) which came in place in 1993 and the Prime Vendor Systems (PVS) in 2018 which were aimed at strengthening supply chain of essential medicine in primary health facilities.
On top of that in efforts to improve healthcare towards attaining of Universal Health Coverage, the Government recently introduced taxation on the Mobile Money Transfers in which just after four weeks of implementation, a total of TSh 48.67 billion was collected and distributed across the country especially in rural areas aiming at healthcare infrastructure development in construction of physical facilities, investment in information systems and medical equipment.
[25] The public formal sector employees pay a mandatory contribution of 3% of their monthly salary and the government as an employer matches the same.
All members of NSSF have access to medical care through SHIB after undergoing registration process with only one facility of their choice.
[27] Community Health Fund is the scheme that targets the largest population in the rural informal sector and membership is voluntary.
[31] On December 25, 2020, the Minister of Health, Dr. Doroth Gwajima, said hospitals shall inform patients about the medical expenses before the healthcare treatment because they have no legal basis to detain the remains of dead people in order to be paid by their relatives.
