(e) Improve partnership between public sector, private sector, religious institutions, civil society
and community in provision of health services
(f) Plan, train, and increase the number of competent health staff;
(g) Identify and maintain the infrastructures and medical equipment; and
(h) Review and evaluate health policy, guidelines, laws and standards for provision of health
services
134. In addition to the Health Policy, the State Party adopted various complementary policies and
strategies in support to the quest for realization of improved health and wellbeing of her citizens including
children. These includes the National Policy on HIV/AIDS which was adopted in 2001, the Health Sector
Strategic Plan III (HSSP III) for the period July 2009 – June 2015, the Vision 2025, and the National
Programme for Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction (MKUKUTA in Kiswahili) among others. (b) The
National Policy on HIV/AIDS 136. In response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the government of Tanzania has
progressed in nearly all areas of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment. Progress has also been made in
impact mitigation through communication and advocacy and in community participation through multisectoral response. HIV/AIDS is included in the development agenda of the National Strategy for Poverty
Eradication, commonly referred to by its Kiswahili acronym, MKUKUTA, and the National Development
Vision of 2025. The policy emphasizes mainstreaming HIV/AIDS patients in all sectors. The development of
the national guideline on prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in the public sector is an effort by the
government to translate into action its commitment to fight the epidemic and improve the well-being of the
people.
135. The National Policy on HIV/AIDS and the National Multisectoral Strategic Framework are
documents that guide the implementation of national multisectoral responses. The Tanzania Commission for
AIDS (TACAIDS) provides strategic leadership and coordination of multisectoral responses, including
monitoring and evaluation, research, resource mobilization, and advocacy.
(e) Health Legislation
136. In implementing the foregoing governmental health policies, the State Party has enacted
legislation to enforce adherence to the foregoing policy commitments. The existing health sector legislation is
mainly divided into: Public Health Act55 which is for the control of epidemics, infectious diseases and
environmental health protection, Health professional Act, which governs the practice and conduct of health
professionals such as doctors, dental practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, Legislation, which establishes
autonomous health institutions for a particular need, such as institutions for medical research, national and
special hospitals, Health financing legislation, which is aiming at providing alternative health financing
mechanism with the aim of complementing Government efforts to finance health services in the country.
137. These laws need to be effectively implemented in order to accomplish the intended objectives of
their enactment. Furthermore, due to a number of socio economic changes, policy changes, and political
changes, enactment and review of the existing health legislation is apparent.
138. Likewise, the State Party has adopted the Health Sector Strategic Plan III (HSSP III), which is
the crosscutting strategic plan for the health sector of Tanzania for the period July 2009 – June 2015. It
provides an overview of the priority strategic directions across the sector which is guided by the National
Health Policy, Vision 2025, the National Programme for Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction
(MKUKUTA in Kiswahili) and the Millennium Development Goals 2000 - 2015. Detailed policies, strategies
and work plans are in place for health related issues and for disease control. HSSP III does not reiterate those,
but summarizes their strategic directions. It serves as the guiding document for development of Council and
hospital strategic plans and for annual work plan. MOHSW has identified eleven strategies, which the health
sector should achieve during the period of implementation as follows:
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Act No.1 of 2009.
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