Noncommunicable diseases cause a significant and growing proportion of the burden of disease in Tanzania, accounting for between 15% and 28% of all Years of Life Lost. There is therefore a need to address NCDs before they will take unaffordable epidemic proportion.

Medicines play a crucial role in fighting disease burden, however consistent access to critical drugs remains a challenge, particularly in rural areas which are home to the most vulnerable patients.

As outlined by the NCD Alliance, Tanzania is seeing significant investment in the establishment of NCD clinics at all levels of care within the public health system. These investments include the provision of training for health workers on the identification of conditions, as well as the provision of equipment for screening and diagnosis. While the establishment of NCD clinics at district hospitals and health centers is a crucial first step, poor availability of drugs and low patient retention are two key issues that prevent NCD clinics to serve current patients effectively and increase the reach of services to new patients.

NCD clinics at all levels of the health system struggle with regular medication stock-outs, which exacerbate the issue of retaining patients on treatment. In addition, there is no standardized patient tracking system across clinics, with practitioners and facilities not being able to follow patients throughout their journey of care and ensure adherence to treatment. These issues result in added workload pressure for the already overwhelmed staff at primary healthcare level, who cannot leverage effectively their training and skillsets to provide the proper care to the population.