About THPBA
THPBA grew out of a group of Tanzanian clinicians who saw the burden of liver, pancreatic, and biliary disease in our country and decided to organize. We are young, we are growing, and we have a lot of work ahead.
Our Mission
To improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of liver, pancreatic, and biliary diseases in Tanzania through multidisciplinary collaboration, training, research, and advocacy.
Our Vision
A Tanzania where patients with HPB diseases are diagnosed early, treated by coordinated teams of specialists, and supported by strong local expertise — regardless of where they live in the country.
How we got here
It started with a problem we could not ignore. Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in Tanzania — and across our hospitals, the majority of hepatocellular carcinoma cases present at a late stage.
TLCG is formed
A group of Tanzanian surgeons, gastroenterologists, oncologists, and allied health professionals formed the Tanzania Liver Cancer Group (TLCG) in Dar es Salaam to start addressing the gap in HPB care nationally.
Weekly tumor board launched
We launched a weekly multidisciplinary tumor board in Dar es Salaam — surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, and oncologists sitting together to review every HPB case. It has been running every week since.
First TLCC
The first Tanzania Liver Cancer Conference showed us the demand was real. Published in ecancermedicalscience.
Expansion & IHPBA affiliation
We expanded into surgical workshops, started building a patient registry, and formalized as THPBA — broadening our scope beyond liver cancer to include pancreatic and biliary diseases. We became an affiliated chapter of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA).
TLCC 2025 & THPBA is born
The second TLCC brought together clinicians from seven countries. At the closing ceremony, Dr. Ally Mwanga announced the formation of THPBA as an expansion of TLCG — a national HPB association for Tanzania. Our tumor board has now evaluated almost 300 patients.
“We are still a young association with a lot of work ahead — but we are organized, we are growing, and we are focused on what matters: better outcomes for patients.”
Meet our leadership team
Clinicians from across Tanzania and international collaborators who volunteer their time to build HPB capacity in the country.
Dr. Ally H. Mwanga
Chairperson
Dr. Eric M. Mbuguje
Vice Chairperson
Dr. Eva Uiso
Treasurer / Secretary
Scientific Committee
Logistics
Members
Administration
What drives everything we do
Collaboration Across Disciplines
No single specialist can manage HPB disease alone. Our weekly tumor board puts surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, and oncologists in the same room to decide together.
Honest About Our Challenges
We do not pretend the gaps are small. Late-stage diagnoses, limited surgical capacity, and resource constraints are realities we name openly so we can address them.
Training the Next Generation
If we do not train more HPB-capable clinicians, the gap only widens. Residents and trainees are included in our tumor boards, workshops, and conferences from the start.
Evidence Over Assumption
Our patient registry and research efforts exist because we need local data. Treatment decisions should be based on evidence from our own population, not borrowed assumptions.
Our global network
THPBA works with international and regional organizations to connect Tanzanian clinicians to shared training, research, and professional development.
IHPBA
International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association -- the global body uniting HPB professionals worldwide in advancing patient care and surgical education.
E-AHPBA
European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association -- bridging European and African HPB communities through shared research and training initiatives.
COSECSA
College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa -- the regional surgical college providing accredited training and examinations for surgeons.
MUHAS
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences -- Tanzania's premier health sciences university and a key partner in education and research.
Muhimbili National Hospital
Tanzania's largest national referral hospital and the home base of THPBA's tumor board and clinical activities.
Join our network
Become part of a growing community of HPB professionals dedicated to improving patient outcomes across East Africa.
Become a MemberWe need more hands
If you are a surgeon, gastroenterologist, oncologist, radiologist, pathologist, or allied health professional working with HPB patients in Tanzania, we want to work with you. The problems are too big for any one team.