Today, the Government of Tanzania has officially launched its Fifth Health Sector Strategic Plan, 2021-2026.
Regarding Health Financing for Universal Health Coverage, the HSSP V states:
“Government will work with stakeholders to expand the scope of health insurance. Government will mobilise citizens to join health insurance schemes to ensure that every citizen has access to health care without financial constraints at the time of service use. For people who do not have formal employment, the iCHF (improved Community Health Funds) benefit package includes critical primary health care interventions such as treatment for severe acute malnutrition and transport or maternity waiting home. Innovative methods of payment for iCHF (e.g., through labour or in-kind) will be investigated. NHIF (National Health Insurance Fund) is gradually expanding its services to cover people with informal employment. Following the introduction of mandatory insurance once the Bill currently under development is passed, work will initially focus on strengthening and expanding coverage under the existing schemes. Subsequent study will chart the way forward to increase pooling under one Universal Health Insurance (UHI) scheme, subsuming both iCHF and NHIF. Government will establish a mechanism to identify those in need of health services, identify vulnerable groups, such as children, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, and elderly, and ensure that they are incorporated in the insurance schemes. The proxy-means testing approach used by the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) will be explored for use as a mechanism for identification of those unable to pay for health services who will progressively be supported by the government to access health insurance cover.”
Key targets 2026 in the area of health financing are
* Domestic General Government Health Expenditure as percentage of GDP to increase from 2.6% to 5.0%;
* Health insurance coverage to increase from 14% to 58%.
