The Assistant Director of Maternal and Child Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr Nassoro Mzee, presents a certificate of participation to Jhpiego Country Director Alice Christensen during the 12th Tanzania Health Summit 2025, following the conclusion of a panel discussion. Looking on is Director of the Breast Cancer Project, Dr Maryrose Giattas Kahwa, which is funded by the Pfizer Foundation and implemented under the Ministry of Health, President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG), and Jhpiego. PHOTO|HELLEN NACHILONGO
The Beat Breast Cancer Project, running from 2025 to 2027, will be implemented in Mwanza, Tanga, Morogoro, and Mtwara, alongside five regions of Zanzibar, involving dispensaries, health centres, and Community Health Workers (CHWs)
Dar es Salaam. The government has launched a three-year breast cancer initiative that brings digital technology into screening, diagnosis, and treatment at the primary healthcare level, aiming to improve early detection, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
The Beat Breast Cancer Project, running from 2025 to 2027, will be implemented in Mwanza, Tanga, Morogoro, and Mtwara, alongside five regions of Zanzibar, involving dispensaries, health centres, and Community Health Workers (CHWs).
Director of Health, Social Welfare and Nutrition at the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Dr Rashid Mfaume, told the ongoing Tanzania Health Summit on Friday, October 3, 2025, that the project combines three diagnostic methods: ultrasound imaging, fine-needle aspiration cytology, and core-needle biopsy.
“The project targets early detection. If identified in the first stages, patients can be completely cured,” he said, noting that CHWs have been trained to recognise symptoms, raise awareness, and refer suspected cases to primary facilities.
Statistics show breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Tanzania, accounting for 14.4 percent of new cases, and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women.
Together, cervical and breast cancers comprise more than half of all new female cancer cases (Globocan 2022).
Dr Mfaume said CHWs now play a crucial role, noting that they are trained to screen for both communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Furthermore, he said, when they suspect cases, they refer women to nearby facilities, which use their own resources to purchase basic diagnostic tools.
“This way, women are referred early, instead of waiting until the disease has advanced,” he said.
The ultimate goal, he explained, is to expand awareness, promote early diagnosis, and strengthen treatment and palliative care services.
This aligns with the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative, which calls for 60 percent of cases to be detected at stage one or two within 60 days, and at least 80 percent of patients to access full treatment.
Jhpiego’s Country Director, Ms Alice Christensen, said the organisation is pleased to partner with the Pfizer Foundation and the Ministry of Health to accelerate the fight against breast cancer in Tanzania.
“We had a one-year pilot in 2024, but Pfizer was very pleased with the outcomes and has extended support for three years. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women, yet many seek care late, when it has already spread and is harder to treat,” she said.
Ms Christensen stressed Jhpiego’s efforts to reach women earlier through community-level awareness campaigns, encouraging them to attend screening.
“By collaborating with community workers, more women will be reached for detection. Most present late, when treatment becomes much harder,” she said.
The project is funded by the Pfizer Foundation and managed by Jhpiego Project Director Dr Maryrose Giattas Kahwa.
It will cover nine regions, 45 councils, and support 137 facilities on both the Mainland and Zanzibar.
“We are complementing government strategies to save lives by strengthening early screening, diagnosis, and treatment for women with breast cancer,” she said.
Dr Kahwa noted that over 31 ultrasound machines and more than 1,000 diagnostic tools have already been distributed, worth Sh590 million.
She added that partnerships are supporting patients without health insurance or the means to travel for treatment.
Director for Maternal and Child Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Nassoro Mzee, explained that while 99 percent of cases occur in women, breast cancer also affects men, though rarely.
He said, unlike in the past when tissue had to be surgically removed and sent to referral hospitals, these procedures are now available at council facilities where most Tanzanians seek care.
“This digital service allows women to be tested, receive results electronically, and continue treatment locally. Mobile outreach teams can even collect samples on site,” said Dr Mzee.
The Beat Breast Cancer Project will run from January 2025 to December 2027 in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the President’s Office, with funding from the Pfizer Foundation under Jhpiego.
