President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to honor the event to mark the first anniversary of the passing of the President of the Third Phase, the late Benjamin Mkapa, who died on July 24 last year.
The event to be held on Wednesday at Mlimani Town Hall in Dar es Salaam is also expected to bring together Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Mwinyi, members of the diplomatic corps, retired presidents and other senior officials from the government.
In addition, former US President Bill Clinton, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and retired President of Nigeria OlusegunObasanjo are expected to attend the event virtually.
The event which was jointly organized by the Benjamin Mkapa Foundation (BMF) and the government offers a debate on the legacy that the former president left to bring back peace and the realization of the universal health service.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, BMF Director General Dr Ellen Mkondya-Senkoro told the event that President Samia will also launch a special fund to which development partners, health actors will contribute. and supporters, a move that would allow the foundation to continue improving the delivery of health services in the country.
According to her, the event is marked by a debate and a dialogue with the aim of sensitizing young people to the legacy that the former head of state left, not only for the country but for the entire African continent. .
“The late Mkapa’s contribution to peacekeeping as well as his efforts to achieve universal health services among Tanzanians are among the topics that will be discussed at the event,” BMF CEO told reporters yesterday. .
She noted that the debate will be held under the theme “Health for all: President Benjamin Mkapa’s legacy on building resilient and sustainable health systems”.
She said the commemoration will take place on the 14th of this month, a week before the exact date of Mr Mkapa’s death, with the main purpose of giving his family members the opportunity to have more time to contemplate , remember and pray for their loved ones. a.
Explaining further, she said the topic of the debate would also open a discussion on how the late President Mkapa has succeeded in improving health systems for universal health coverage for all Tanzanians.
“Stakeholders will analyze the importance of investing in an integrated health system and how Tanzania has made significant progress in this regard,” the CEO stressed.
The late President Mkapa, who ruled the country for two consecutive terms from 1995 to 2005, died on July 24 last year in Dar es Salaam while undergoing treatment.
He is remembered as the first head of state after the reintroduction of the multiparty system which began in 1992.
Other health reforms he carried out included the creation of the Community Health Fund (CHF) and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
The BMF was established after the launch of its first initiative known as the “Mkapa Fellows Program” in July 2005. From November 2006, the Mkapa Foundation gradually started recruiting the management team and staff.
As the Foundation grew, it shifted from implementing initiatives focused on strengthening HIV / AIDS service delivery and the health system, particularly human resources for health ( RHS), to implementation beyond HIV / AIDS, which resulted in the name change to ‘The Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation (BMF)’.
The foundation has so far built 482 houses for domestic workers in the health sector and strengthened the capacity of 326 health oversight committees in 22 district councils. It also employed a total of 3,760 health workers at dispensaries, health centers and regional hospitals across the country.
