H.E. Jesper Kammersgaard, Ambassador of Denmark to Tanzania
Dr. Florence Temu, Country Director of Amref Health Africa Tanzania.
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Investing in health professionals today. Transforming healthcare for tomorrow.
The future of Tanzania's response to diabetes, hypertension and other cardiometabolic diseases depends not only on access to healthcare but also on the knowledge and skills of the professionals delivering it.
This was a key message from H.E. Jesper Kammersgaard, Ambassador of Denmark to Tanzania, during the launch of the Partnership for Education of Health Professionals (PEP), an initiative bringing together Amref Health Africa, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Governments of Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar.
The Ambassador reaffirmed Denmark's commitment to strengthening Tanzania's health sector through strategic partnerships, highlighting the importance of education, research and institutional cooperation in building a stronger health workforce.
The project aims to strengthen health professionals' training in preventing and managing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, with an emphasis on prevention, physical activity and healthier lifestyles.
Supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, an independent philanthropic foundation based in Denmark, the project is implemented in partnership with Amref Health Africa and Tanzanian institutions.
The project will:Improve curricula, faculty training, digital learning and research. Reach 25,500 students, 2,136 faculty and staff, and 1,600 in-service health workers.
He emphasised that frontline health professionals must be equipped to identify, assess and manage conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, particularly for patients seeking care in facilities far from specialist hospitals.
“Better training is part of the answer. People living with high blood pressure or diabetes may first be seen by clinical officers far from specialist hospitals. Equipping these professionals with the right skills is essential to improving the care that follows,” H.E. Kammersgaard emphasised.
Echoing the importance of strong partnerships, Dr. Samwel Lazaro, Director of Preventive Services at the Ministry of Health, underscored the role of collective action in strengthening health professional education.
“Effective collaboration between Government, health training institutions and development partners is essential to achieving sustainable improvements,” he said.
For Amref Health Africa Tanzania, the PEP initiative represents an important investment in the people at the heart of healthcare delivery.
Dr. Florence Temu, Country Director of Amref Health Africa Tanzania, highlighted the importance of strengthening health professionals' competencies to respond to the country's changing disease burden.
“We must invest in the people who deliver healthcare. By strengthening the knowledge, practical skills and capacity of health professionals, we are building a stronger health system that can prevent, detect and manage cardiometabolic diseases while bringing quality care closer to the communities that need it most.”
The PEP initiative focuses on strengthening health training curricula, building tutors' capacity, enhancing clinical skills and promoting research to improve the prevention, diagnosis and management of cardiometabolic diseases.
As Tanzania confronts the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, this partnership reinforces a shared commitment: developing a skilled health workforce capable of delivering quality care and transforming health outcomes.
TAFUTA HABARI
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