Degrees Qualification and academic achievements

Technical Experience

Resident Advisor, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 2007 – September 2010.

Summary

I was hired by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide technical support to various health departments and programs in South Africa, including the National Department of Health (DOH) and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). Achievements include developing and executing training initiatives to improve disease surveillance, outbreak response, and laboratory management in South Africa. I also offered expertise in establishing similar programs in Mozambique, Angola, and Rwanda.

Programme Manager, Blood Safety Programme, May 2004-June 2007

Summary

I was the Programme Manager for the Blood Safety Programme, I led the establishment of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) under the Ministry of Health. Key accomplishments included construction of zonal six centers and integrating the programme into government financing for sustainability.

Assistant Director Of Diagnostic Services, Ministry Of Health And Social Welfare, May 2004 – July 2006

Summary

I provided the overall strategic leadership on laboratory, radiology, and health equipment services. Accomplishments include spearheading the implementation of the National Anti-retroviral drugs (ARV) roll-out program, introducing the Quality Management System (QMS) and External Quality Assurance (EQA) program, developing laboratory policies and guidelines

Political Achievements

Minister for Communication and Information Technology, December 2020 to September 2021

Summary

I effectively led the Information Technology and Communication sector in Tanzania. I successfully established the new ministry in 2020, managing a team of over 2000 employees and achieved notable accomplishments, including the formulation of a functional ministerial structure, a significant increase in the ministry’s budget, and the restructuring of underperforming institutions and additionally, I played a key role in increasing internet coverage in the country

Deputy Minister-Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, October 2017 to May 2020

Summary

I provided strategic policy direction and technical expertise to drive the health delivery agenda. Some of the achievements include the construction of over 1000 new health facilities to expand healthcare accessibility, high vaccination coverage, reduced the need for medical treatment abroad by investing in advanced medical facilities and equipment. Additionally, I supervised the construction of the National Public Health Laboratory and strengthened disease surveillance systems, ensuring effective response to health emergencies and outbreaks.

Member of Parliament for Kigamboni, Dar es Salaam, October 2010 to date

Summary

I have held various significant positions within parliamentary committees and other organizations. From 2016 to 2017, I served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse. Additionally, I held the position of Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Services from 2010 to 2013. Moreover, I had the privilege of being elected as a representative of Tanzania in the Pan African Parliament from 2015 to 2018. During this time, I chaired the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Advisory Group on Maternal, Child Health, New-born, and HIV/AIDS from 2015 to 2017. Additionally, I played a crucial role as a founding member of both the Global and African TB Caucuses. Some of my notable achievements include championing the passage of the Universal Health Insurance Bill in 2023, advocating for the implementation of an integrated and coordinated CHW program, successfully advocating for the ratification of the African Medicine Agency (AMA) convention, spearheading the amendment of the HIV/AIDS law, and actively participating in the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) and the development of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) in Tanzania.

WHO ACTIVITIES

Guest speaker at the WHO-organized African High-Level Meeting on Health Security in Accra, Ghana, 8-10 November 2023.

Participated in a WHO-organised meeting on “Advancing Global Health Security: From Commitments to Actions” in Bali, Indonesia, 27-29 June 2016.

Head of delegation to the 72nd World Health Assembly in Geneva in 2019.

Delegate to the 69th World Health Assembly in Geneva in 2016.

Delegate to the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva in 2024.

Participated as a parliamentarian in the WHO-organised Ministerial Conference on Malaria in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 6 March 2024.

Participated as a stakeholder consultation on accountability for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health, Geneva, 16-17 November 2015

Participated in WHO-organized consultations on the Strategic Partnership for Country Planning Workshop following the Joint External Evaluation (JEE), 14-18 November 2016.

OTHER INTERNATIONAL HEALTH EXPERIENCES

Vice-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Advisory Group on Health (since 2023).

Founding member of the Member of the Global and African TB Caucuses (2015 to date).

Executive member of the Network of African Parliamentary Committees on Health (NEAPACOH) – 2023 to date.

Improving the Quality of Health Services, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA (2005).

Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly in New York – 2023.

Facilitator of a Global Fund-organised high-level meeting of permanent secretaries and TB managers from 11 countries in Arusha, Tanzania, 4-7 July 2023.

Member of the Governing Council of the International AIDS Society (IAS), Geneva, Switzerland (2008 to 2016).

Member of the Advisory Group on Efficiency and Effectiveness in National HIV/AIDS Programmes, IAS (2013-2016).

Member of the Advisory Group on Social and Political Research, IAS (2013-2016).

Chair of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) Advisory Group on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and HIV/AIDS (2015-2017).