The government has increased the number of essential mental health medicines from 21 in 2021 to 36 in 2026 to improve treatment options and access to medication for people experiencing mental health challenges in Tanzania.

Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Florence Samizi, announced this on October 19, 2026, while presenting the Ministry’s report on the state of mental health, its effects and strategies to address related challenges before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and HIV/AIDS, on behalf of Health Minister Mohamed Mchengerwa.

“These improvements have been incorporated into the Standard Treatment Guidelines and National Essential Medicines List (STG–NEMLIT), which came into effect in 2026. They aim to expand treatment options based on patients’ needs and their ability to afford the costs,” Dr Samizi said.

She added that the government had also strengthened community-level mental health services, with 9,545 community health workers trained and another 1,022 currently undergoing training.

“As of September 2026, more than 4,000 people had undergone initial depression screening in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma regions through services provided by trained health workers,” Dr Samizi said.

To address the shortage of specialists, the government has strengthened training programmes at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Mirembe and the University of Dodoma to increase the number of mental health professionals and bring services closer to the public.