HEALTH RESEARCH
Health institutes do more than research; they bridge various sectors for more effective health outcomes in Tanzania.
What role does your institute play in promoting health research in Tanzania?
PROF. YUNUS D. MGAYA Even though we are called the National Institute for Medical Research, our research encompasses all elements of healthcare, including bimedicine, social determinants of health, and health systems. We are expected to monitor, control, and coordinate health research and have a directorate here responsible for health research coordination. We are mandated to promote or provide facilities for the training of local personnel to carry out scientific research. We evaluate the scientific and ethical merits of all health research proposals before research is conducted and evaluate the findings. We are also mandated to establish a system of administration of the findings of health research carried out in Tanzania and promote their practical application to improve or advance the general health of the people of Tanzania. In simple words, NIMR is the advisory organ of the government of Tanzania in all matters pertaining to health research. We also work closely with other stakeholders in the health sector, both locally and internationally.
DR. HONORATI MASANJA The institute began as a small Swiss Tropical Institute field laboratory. Slowly the institute developed into a small research center, where university students from Muhimbili College would come for field practical in parasitology, microbiology, and so on. Over time, the institute has grown from 150 people to a high of 1,300 in 2012, when we were undertaking big projects such as clinical trials to test malaria drugs, vaccines, and Vitamin A supplementation, evaluating health systems performance through demographic surveillance platforms. We are well known for our malaria research, although we are much more diversified than that. For example, we have the largest group in the region working on the control of malaria vectors. Our environmental, health, and ecologic sciences focus on understanding and devising malaria control strategies, using vector control as well as other devices for controlling the transmission of malaria from mosquitos to humans.
What opportunities exist for private companies to invest in the healthcare sector in Tanzania?
YDM There are many opportunities. Many diseases, including malaria, trypanosomiasis, cholera, lymphatic filariasis, and trachoma, actively impede economic development in the country. There are two ways to combat malaria. One is by directly attacking the mosquito itself through vector control. There is huge potential for business in this realm. Pharmaceuticals for these methods are mostly produced by large companies, but there is also the potential to produce these at the local level and sell them cheaper and more easily to the market. Another opportunity comes through the provision of technology. Certain types of technology are available in Tanzania; however, in many other cases, it is a matter of transferring technology here.
HM The government's budget for healthcare for 2017 is around TZS1.1 trillion (USD487 million), up from TZS800 billion (USD354 billion) the previous year, which is a substantial increase; however, it still leaves room for other players to enter the market in a big way. For one, I see a gap in the market in specialized medicine and medical care. Also, while we have an ICT incubator, the application of technology to health sciences has not been exploited in full. Not only will this create jobs, but it will also create wealth in the health space, partnering business people with medical specialists. Ifakara will create an innovation fund to help bridge these groups and forge promising projects.
Why is a multi-stakeholder approach necessary to tackle the main health issues affecting Tanzania?
YDM In terms of health issues, we deal with more than one sector; a number of diseases and health problems, such as malaria, cholera, trypanosomiasis, Rift Valley fever, dengue, and so on, are a result of activities beyond the mandate of Ministry of Health. A policy must take into account the need to have all the important players involved or at least considered. When NIMR puts research on the table to be transformed down the line into practice and policy, we are cognizant of the existence of other sectors.
HM The ministry is pioneering a PPP structured organization, the Association of Private Healthcare Facilities of Tanzania, which incorporates the private sector into the provision of health services in Tanzania. Such partnerships could be important in pharmaceutical industries and diagnostics in particular. There is space, for example, in the Economic Processing Zone (EPZ) for production of drugs for chronic diseases like TB and HIV. This is currently being done in collaboration between a Tanzanian company and German investors. The current president encourages investment of industrialization in Tanzania, and this certainly extends to the diagnostic supply industry.
HEALTH RESEARCH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
TBY talks to Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, on the advantages of being a member of the Commonwealth, the need to celebrate diversity, and Tanzania's war against corruption.
read articleGuest Speaker
Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General, East African Community (EAC)
TBY talks to Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), on Tanzania's importance to the EAC, the major achievements of regional integration, and obstacles ahead of a monetary union.
read articleInterview
Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary , Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC)
TBY talks to Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary of Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), on its work to support the private sector in the country, tackling challenges in the economy, and clamping down on corruption.
read articleReview: Banking
The Quest for Depth
If Tanzania is to meet its 2025 vision of attaining middle-income status, it will need to corral its bank-centric financial and capital markets for greater depth by extending participation and rendering credit more accessible to SMEs, women, and the young to spur economic growth.
read articleInterview
Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner , Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA)
TBY talks to Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner of Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), on achieving universal healthcare coverage, the brilliance of microinsurance, and how to partner with public and private entities to increase the industry's penetration.
read articleReview
Legal Thunder
With the stepping down of Minister of Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo in May 2017 over transparency issues and the introduction of three new laws that give the government the right to renegotiate or revoke existing mining and oil and gas rights, private players in the country are unsure of what future lies ahead. On the other hand, project-specific developments bode well for a sector in need of a breakthrough.
read articleInterview
Kapuulya Musomba, Managing Director, Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC)
TBY talks to Kapuulya Musomba, Acting Managing Director of Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC), on the planned expansion of the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam natural gas pipeline, entering northern industrial hubs, and empowering nascent industries.
read articleInterview
Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director, Shell/BG Tanzania
TBY talks to Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director of Shell/BG Tanzania, on the critical need for economies of scale, the importance of developing LNG for export, and why renewables must be taken into account in any long-term plan.
read articleInterview
Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment
TBY talks to Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on how to reach middle-income status, employing the private sector toward this end, and what sets the country apart from the rest of East Africa.
read articleFocus: Helium
Discoveries of Magna-tude
Despite being the second most common element in the universe, helium is in short supply on earth. With global reserves of the gas steadily dwindling, and demand steadily increasing, the discovery of a whopping 1.53 billion cbm of helium in underground chambers in Tanzania could not have come at a better moment.
read articleInterview
Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA)
TBY talks to Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General of Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA), on transportation budget allocation and cross-sector dialog and partnerships.
read articleInterview
Jared H. Zerbe, CEO, Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS)
TBY talks to Jared H. Zerbe, CEO of Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS), on regional trade flows and Tanzania's potential to take a leading role in orchestrating cargo movement.
read articleFocus: Tanzania Strategic Cities Project (TSCP)
East Africa’s “Geneva”
If Rome wasn't built in a day, it is not surprising that Tanzania's project to revamp eight of its largest cities is entering its eighth year of implementation. A release of further funds from the World Bank has given the project a new lease of life.
read articleReview
Lost in the Maize
Agriculture accounts for 30% of Tanzania's GDP, and the sector has experienced above-average output in recent years compared to the rest of the African continent. However, the sector's development is held back by poor rural farming practices and general infrastructure bottlenecks.
read articleInterview
Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
TBY talks to Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the organization's long-term support for Tanzania's development, recent initiatives in agriculture, and financing.
read articleFocus: 2020 Irrigation Target
Reap What You Sow
In 2006, the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation set a target for Tanzania's agriculture sector: to irrigate 1 million ha of land by 2020. More than 10 years on and moving ever closer to the deadline, this target has not yet been met, though the first seeds are being sown.
read articleFocus: Southern Circuit Tourism
Hidden Gems
Tourism is frequently described as the jewel in Tanzania's economic crown. In 2016 alone, the industry contributed over USD2 billion in revenues. However, for at least three years, the government has expressed concern that tourism is not well distributed across the country.
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