Dar es Salaam, October 18, 2025 – The Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania (AKHS,T), an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), convened a national dissemination workshop for the CHOICE Tanzania Project (Climate and Health Outcomes Integrated through Community Engagement). The event focused on how locally driven innovation can strengthen climate-resilient and equitable health systems.
Under the theme “Climate Change and Human Health: Building Resilience through Evidence-Based Policy,” the workshop brought together over 100 participants, including government officials, researchers, development partners, and civil society representatives. The aim was to explore strategies to strengthen Tanzania’s health system amid increasing climate challenges and declining external aid.
Mr. Rahib Mashombo, Director of Legal Services, representing the Ministry of Health as Guest of Honour, commended AKHS,T and its partners for developing solutions rooted in local knowledge and collaboration. He emphasized that multi-sectoral cooperation enables stakeholders to share data, research, and community insights, leading to more effective, evidence-based interventions.
Prof. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Global Lead for CHOICE and Founding Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development at Aga Khan University (Pakistan), highlighted the urgency of action. While mitigation effort takes time, immediate adaptation is essential, supported by stronger data-driven systems to protect vulnerable communities.
Prof. Muzdalifat Abeid, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at AKHS,T and CHOICE Project Lead, explained how the project’s Think Tanks model ensures local evidence and lived experiences influence national policy. Participants engaged in scientific presentations, community testimonies, and policy dialogues on integrating climate adaptation, mental health, and gender equity into Tanzania’s health landscape.
The CHOICE Project, initiated by the Institute for Global Health and Development at Aga Khan University (Pakistan) and implemented in partnership with the Centre for Global Child Health at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto and Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania, addresses the inter-connectedness of climate change, mental health, and gender equity. It aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and 5 (Gender Equality) through community-based, gender-sensitive approaches that embed climate resilience and mental health into public health systems.
Over the past two years, CHOICE has trained 13 healthcare providers in mental-health first aid, equipped 23 frontline workers to manage gender-based and child violence, established the Aga Khan Hospital Microforest, launched a nationwide tree-planting campaign, and conducted Tanzania’s first study on climate change and health practices among healthcare workers.
Closing the event, Prof. Muzdalifat stressed the importance of ongoing collaboration to co-create solutions rooted in real-world needs and strengthen national resilience. AKHS,T and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to scaling the CHOICE model and integrating its lessons into future health and climate policies, reinforcing Tanzania’s capacity to deliver inclusive, evidence-based healthcare for all.
About Aga Khan Health Services
Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) is one of three AKDN agencies that support activities in health, alongside the Aga Khan Foundation and the Aga Khan University. Together, they provide quality health care to 14 million people annually and work closely on planning, training and resource development. AKHS also works with the Aga Khan Education Services and the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat on the integration of health issues into partnered projects.
AKHS is organised into national service companies in Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania and Uganda. While strengthening its institutions and the links between them, each health service company joins government health services and other providers in building effective national health systems. AKHS and AKU manage 940 hospitals and outreach health centres.
For more information, please contact:
Geofrey Anael
PR Coordinator
Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam
📞 +255 654 540 226
📧 geofrey.anael@akhst.org