Muhimbili National Hospital Intensifies Research Grant Efforts to Transform Healthcare Delivery
Dar es Salaam – Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) has intensified efforts to secure local and international research grants to strengthen scientific work that underpins improved specialized healthcare delivery nationwide.
MNH Executive Director Dr Delilah Kimambo made the remarks on Friday, December 12, 2025, during the launch of a new journal featuring a broad range of studies generated at the country’s top referral facility.
She said the hospital’s long-term goal is to ensure research outcomes directly shape national health policies, enhance clinical training, and guide the development of medical technologies adapted to Tanzania’s priorities.
She emphasized that investment in research capacity is essential for the country to respond to emerging health challenges.
"We cannot establish or advance superspecialized services without research. For example, we would not introduce kidney transplant services unless evidence showed high patient demand," she said.
To achieve this, Dr Kimambo said MNH is broadening its research proposals to attract funding for studies aimed at identifying key public health gaps, strengthening evidence-based care, and expanding highly specialized services.
She stressed that research does more than improve clinical practice; it also provides policymakers with dependable data to inform the evolution of treatment while advancing the skills of health professionals.
According to her, internal MNH studies have led to major gains in intensive care, oncology, cardiology, maternal and child health, and specialized surgical interventions.
Institutions including the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), and the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) were established after research identified critical shortages in specialized services.
She noted that modern innovations such as day-care chemotherapy, advanced diagnostics, and minimally invasive surgery were adopted based on evidence demonstrating their safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
She said these innovations reflect MNH’s commitment to delivering services that are patient-centered and aligned with global medical standards, ensuring equitable access to treatment.
"No one wants to stay in hospital unnecessarily. Our research has helped scale up interventional procedures that shorten admissions and improve recovery," she said.
Dr Kimambo also underscored MNH’s role in shaping national health strategies.
Research from the hospital revealed that many patients previously treated at MNH could have been managed at regional and district facilities.
This evidence prompted increased government investment in lower-level hospitals, enabling MNH to focus mainly on specialized and superspecialized care.
She added that MNH will continue cultivating partnerships at home and abroad to build expertise, attract more funding, and support clinical trials aligned with African health priorities.
MNH Public Health Specialist, Mr Anord Nyanana, who conducted a study on cooking-related burn injuries and safe liquefied petroleum gas use in Dar es Salaam, said research is vital for transforming the health sector.
"After observing growing numbers of patients admitted with burns linked to cooking gas, I undertook a study to help improve service quality, enhance professional skills, strengthen policies, and introduce modern services that reach more people," he said.
