Kileo appealed to the government to further increase the Ministry of Health's budget to align with gender-specific health needs. Photo: Courtesy
By The Respondent Reporter
The government has been urged to allocate more funds to the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to curb the growing prevalence of these conditions within communities.
This call was made today 20th September, 2024 in Dar es Salaam by Gender and Inclusion Specialist Mary Kalavo during the 2024-2025 gender analysis of the health sector. The session brought together various stakeholders to discuss strategies and areas for improvement in addressing health issues.
Kalavo stressed the urgent need for the government to increase its budget allocation to tackle NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease, which have shown a marked rise in recent years.
She pointed out that despite the existence of government institutions overseeing the regulation of food and beverages, there has been a persistent problem with the consumption of substandard alcohol, which has burdened the government with the costs of treating patients with kidney diseases.
"The government needs to increase funding to help ease the financial strain of caring for individuals affected by non-communicable diseases like diabetes and kidney disease," Kalavo said, emphasizing that a greater budgetary focus on prevention could reduce the overall healthcare costs for the government.
She also urged Tanzanians to adopt a healthier lifestyle, particularly through regular exercise, to help combat the rising tide of these diseases.
Aikande Kileo, a researcher from the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), echoed Kalavo’s sentiments during the same meeting. Kileo highlighted that the purpose of the gathering was to review and validate the findings of the 2024-2025 Budget Analysis while ensuring that gender equality has been considered within the budget.
Kileo appealed to the government to further increase the Ministry of Health's budget to align with gender-specific health needs. This, she said, would ensure a more equitable approach to healthcare that addresses the diverse needs of all citizens.