Dar es Salaam. Five research projects aimed at addressing gaps in the medicine supply chain have received a total of Sh75 million in grants under the Senselet–Tanzania Project, focusing on improving the availability, storage, and safe management of essential medicines.
The grants, worth Sh15 million each, will support studies running from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, and are expected to generate evidence to strengthen the country’s health commodity system.
Speaking during the 2026 Senselet–Tanzania Small Grants Award Ceremony, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) Vice Chancellor, Prof Appolinary Kamuhabwa, said efficient supply chains are critical to ensuring medicines reach patients in the right condition and at the right time.
“A medicine may be of excellent quality, but unless it is correctly forecasted, procured, stored, transported, and made available to the patient at the right time and in the right condition, its public health value cannot be fully realised,” he said.
He added that strong health commodity supply chains are central to universal health coverage, patient safety, and national health security.
Prof Kamuhabwa said the small grants programme attracted 35 applications, reflecting growing interest among young researchers in healthcare supply chain management.
After a competitive review process, five proposals were selected based on scientific merit, relevance to Tanzania’s non-communicable disease priorities, and potential policy impact.
“The grants represent a meaningful investment in locally led research and early-career faculty development,” he said.
The selected projects will examine key challenges across the medicine value chain, including data quality and predictive analytics for diabetes and hypertension medicines, stock-outs at primary healthcare facilities, disruptions in cancer medicine supplies, insulin cold-chain performance, and pharmaceutical waste management.
According to Prof Kamuhabwa, the studies form a comprehensive research portfolio capable of producing evidence to inform policy, regulation, and programme implementation.
“Together, these studies address critical points in the health commodity life cycle and have the potential to improve healthcare delivery,” he said.
He noted that the project also includes plans to strengthen cold-chain capacity in Handeni District, Kigoma, and other priority areas to safeguard temperature-sensitive products such as insulin and vaccines.
“We look forward to evidence that these interventions will reduce temperature excursions, prevent wastage, and protect product quality,” he said.
Prof Kamuhabwa said efforts to establish pharmaceutical waste collection systems and reverse logistics would also help protect communities, the environment, and the integrity of the health system.
The Senselet–Tanzania Project is also supporting the development of a Master of Science in Healthcare Supply Chain Management at MUHAS, alongside faculty development and professional training to build long-term sector expertise.
Kühne Foundation Tanzania Project Manager Alan Lwanga said the foundation partnered with MUHAS to implement a multi-faceted programme that includes research grants supporting studies on health commodity supply chains.
