Table 1 Health sector reforms in Tanzania, 1967–2009

1967

Arusha Declaration

The Mwalimu Nyerere’s Arusha Declaration is the benchmark of major health reforms in Tanzania today which had motives of making health services to accessible to all people in the country particularly improving the livelihood of the marginalized groups

1977

Free Health Services

All private and profit oriented health services were banned and the government took the role of providing free health services to her people

1990

The introduction of First Tanzania’s Health Policy

1991

Liberalizations of Private Health Care Facilities

1991

Mixed Healthcare Financing

Tanzania government introduced a mixed system of health financing which involves the introduction of cost sharing policies

1993

Government/Development Partners Appraisal Mission on the Health Sector

1993—1995

User Fees

i. Phase I: Introduction of user fees in refers and number of health services provided by regional hospitals

ii. Phase II experienced the introduction of medical fees I regional hospitals in a country

iii. Phase III introduction of the medical fees to all district hospitals

iv. Phase IV experienced the introduction of user fees in health centres and dispensaries

1995

The first Plan for Health Sector Reforms Agreement to engage in SWAP programs in Health

1996

Community Health Fund (CHF)

This is a form of insurance plan under the government authorities which was designated purposely or the rural populations in a country. It was established in order to increase marginalized groups and large population employed in informal sectors to have equal access to health services and lower number of death due to disease

1998

Agreement to enter a SWAP program in Health

1999

Health being introduced in Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) as a matter of priority

1999

Introduction of Health Busket Fund

1999

Introduction of National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) but its operation began in 2001

2000

National Package of Essential Health Interventions Approved

2002

Introduction of Private insurance schemes

2003

Health Sector Strategic Plan II (HSSP II)

2004

Introduction of emergency infrastructure rehabilitations programs

2005

Introduction of Tanzania Essential Health Intervention Project (TEHIP)

2006

Establishment of the Tanzania Joint Assistance Strategy

2007

Social Health Insurance Benefit (SHIB)

2007

The National Health Policy 2007

2008

Establishment of the Health Sector Human Resource Strategic Plan

2009

The announcement for Health Sector Strategic Plan IIII (HSSP III)

2015

Health Sector Strategic Plan IV (HSSP IV)