PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS (PEP) EXPANDS IN TANZANIA TO STRENGTHEN HEALTH WORKFORCE AND TACKLE RISING CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES (CMDs)

The initiative targets 25,500 students and 1600 in-services health professionals, with enhanced knowledge and competencies to address the growing burden of cardiometabolic diseases in Tanzania.

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania | 30 October 2026 — As Tanzania faces a growing burden of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), Amref Health Africa -Tanzania, in partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation, is expanding the Partnership for Education of Health Professionals (PEP) in Tanzania to strengthen health professional education and prepare a more skilled workforce to prevent, detect and manage these conditions.

The expansion marks an important step towards addressing gaps in health professional education and equipping current and future healthcare workers with the knowledge, clinical competencies and practical skills needed to respond to Tanzania’s changing disease burden.

The initiative builds on a scoping and stakeholder engagement process led by Amref Tanzania, which identified critical gaps in cardiometabolic disease education, particularly in nursing and clinical officer training. The findings highlighted the need for stronger curricula, better prepared educators, improved access to practical and simulation based learning, and greater use of digital technologies in health professional education.

The three-year programme will be implemented by Amref Tanzania in collaboration with Government of Tanzania, universities, health training institutions, regulatory bodies and other partners to strengthen the education system that prepares the country's healthcare workforce.

Cardiometabolic diseases include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, renal disease, obesity and other metabolic disorders. These conditions can lead to serious complications, disability and premature death, placing increasing demands on healthcare services, families and community’s? hypertension affects more than 25% of Tanzanian adults, while diabetes prevalence is estimated at between 3% and 5%. The growing burden of these conditions comes alongside the continued need to address infectious diseases, placing additional pressure on the health system.

Despite ongoing efforts to strengthen non-communicable disease prevention and care, gaps remain in preparing health professionals to respond effectively. The concept paper found that cardiometabolic disease topics were often fragmented across nursing and clinical officer curricula, with limited opportunities for practical learning and insufficient faculty capacity to deliver specialized training.

These gaps matter because nurses and clinical officers are central to primary healthcare delivery, particularly in dispensaries, health centres and district-level facilities, where many people first seek care.

By strengthening education at its foundation, PEP aims to help ensure that healthcare workers are better equipped to identify risk factors, recognise early warning signs, support prevention and provide appropriate care for people living with cardiometabolic diseases.

Highlighting the value of strong partnerships in strengthening Tanzania’s health sector, H.E. Jesper Kammersgaard, Ambassador of Denmark to Tanzania, said: “The partnership between Denmark, through the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and Amref Health Africa is a strong example of how shared commitment, expertise and collaboration can strengthen Tanzania’s health sector and improve healthcare for its people.”

The partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the capacity of health education institutions to respond to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

“Reducing health inequity requires evidence-based investment in the institutions that educate the health workforce,” said Prof. Flemming Konradsen, Chief Scientific Officer at the Novo Nordisk Foundation. “Through this long-term institutional approach, the project will strengthen teaching, research, and clinical leadership capacity while equipping nurses, clinicians and other health professionals with the competencies needed to prevent and manage cardiometabolic diseases more effectively.” said Prof. Flemming Konradsen, Chief Scientific Officer at the Novo Nordisk Foundation

The programme will promote collaboration among the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, universities, health training colleges and relevant professional and regulatory bodies. This coordinated approach is intended to ensure that improvements in training are aligned with national priorities and can be sustained beyond the programme period.

The programme will also promote gender equity in professional development and leadership, recognising the important contribution of women to Tanzania’s health workforce, particularly in nursing and allied health professions.

The Government of Tanzania has continued to prioritise the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases through national strategies and efforts to strengthen primary healthcare. PEP will complement these efforts by addressing the education and institutional capacity needed to translate policy priorities into improved clinical practice.

“Effective collaboration between Government, health training institutions, regulatory bodies and implementing partners is essential to achieving sustainable improvements. Our success should ultimately be reflected in the competencies of our graduates, the quality of clinical training and the healthcare delivered to our communities.” Dr. Samwel Lazaro, Director of Preventive Services, Ministry of Health, representing the Chief Medical Officer of the United Republic of Tanzania.

The programme's emphasis on institutional ownership and collaboration is intended to support the integration of improved curricula, teaching approaches and professional development opportunities into existing health education structures.

By working with government and academic institutions from the outset, Amref Tanzania and its partners aim to strengthen local capacity and ensure that the benefits of the programme extend beyond individual training activities.

For Amref Tanzania, the expansion reflects a broader commitment to strengthening health systems by investing in the people, institutions and innovations that make quality healthcare possible.

“We sincerely appreciate the Government of Tanzania for its leadership and commitment to strengthening health professional education, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation for its vision and investment in this important initiative. Through this partnership, Amref is committed to strengthening institutions and building a skilled health workforce that will deliver lasting improvements in healthcare for all.” Dr Florence Temu, Country Director, Amref Tanzania

Over the three-year implementation period, the programme aims to strengthen the capacity of 113 institutions to deliver improved education on cardiometabolic disease prevention and care. It targets 25,500 pre-service students and 1,600 in-service health professionals, while supporting faculty development, clinical mentorship and innovative teaching approaches.

The initiative will also establish two Centres of Excellence to strengthen institutional capacity, promote research and support the wider adoption of quality health professional education across Tanzania.

The programme will focus on four interconnected areas: improving the quality and relevance of cardiometabolic disease education; strengthening faculty and clinical mentorship; expanding innovative digital and simulation-based teaching approaches; and building institutional capacity for education and implementation research.

Through a hub-and-spoke model, the Centres of Excellence will support knowledge-sharing, mentorship and the wider adoption of effective training approaches across health professional education institutions.

The programme will also strengthen faculty and clinical mentors' teaching competencies, support curriculum review and development, and expand access to online and blended learning. Simulation-based approaches and digital tools will help bridge the gap between classroom learning and the practical demands of healthcare delivery.

For healthcare workers and students, the quality of training can shape how confidently they recognise symptoms, assess patients, make clinical decisions and support long-term disease management.

For patients, these competencies can make a meaningful difference in the care they receive, particularly when conditions such as hypertension and diabetes need to be identified and managed before serious complications develop.

The programme's long-term ambition is to strengthen the link between education and service delivery, helping ensure that health professionals are better prepared to respond to the needs of patients across Tanzania, including those in underserved and rural communities.

Through stronger institutions, better equipped educators, relevant curricula and innovative learning approaches, PEP will contribute to building a health workforce capable of responding to the growing burden of cardiometabolic diseases and other emerging health challenges.

For Amref Tanzania, the expansion reinforces a fundamental principle: improving health outcomes requires sustained investment not only in healthcare services, but also in the people and institutions that make those services possible.