MWE Correspondent
Tanzania has invited investors from the United States to invest in the production of medicines, medical devices, diagnostic products and healthcare technologies as the country moves to establish itself as a major manufacturing and distribution hub for health products in Africa.
The call was made by Tanzania’s Minister for Health, Mohamed Omary Mchengerwa, during the U.S.-Tanzania Health Cooperation Stakeholders Meeting held in Washington, D.C.
Mchengerwa said Tanzania was ready to welcome capital, technology and expertise from American investors as the government works to transform the country from one that relies heavily on imported medicines and health products into a competitive producer serving both domestic and regional markets.
He said the Ministry of Health had established the Pharmaceutical Investment Acceleration Task Force (PIAT) to facilitate and speed up investment in the pharmaceutical sector. The task force brings together key government institutions, including the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA), Medical Stores Department (MSD), Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and the authority responsible for special economic zones.
The minister also highlighted the development of a dedicated economic zone for pharmaceutical industries at Mloganzila, outside Dar es Salaam. The government is additionally preparing plans for a national vaccine and biological products manufacturing facility as part of efforts to strengthen Tanzania’s health security and domestic production capacity.
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According to Mchengerwa, Tanzania is also improving the business environment for pharmaceutical manufacturers by aligning tax and customs arrangements for raw materials and pharmaceutical packaging with regional frameworks under the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The minister further pointed to Tanzania’s selection to host and lead SADC’s Pooled Procurement Services, describing the development as a major opportunity for manufacturers establishing production facilities in the country.
The arrangement could give companies operating in Tanzania access to a wider regional market covering 16 SADC member states and more than 300 million people.
Mchengerwa said the opportunity means investors would not have to rely solely on Tanzania’s domestic market, but could use the country as a manufacturing base for supplying health products across the wider SADC region.
The government is positioning pharmaceutical manufacturing as part of its broader industrialisation strategy, with the aim of increasing local production, reducing dependence on imports, strengthening supply chains and creating opportunities for technology transfer and skilled employment.
Tanzania’s appeal to U.S. investors comes as African countries seek to expand domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduce vulnerabilities exposed by disruptions in global health-product supply chains.
