Seizing a major opportunity: industrial development with health sector benefits Local manufacturers in Tanzania are not sharing in the large and expanding market for health-related commodities. The health sector buys medicines and other supplies such as cotton wool, protective gloves, syringes, diagnostic test kits, laboratory supplies, medical equipment, and infection control items such as soap and disinfectant. Imports soared to over USD 350 million in 2013, with donor funding, but a small rise in exports has petered out (see Figure). REPOA’s 2013 research found that just 16% of medicines and 22% of other health supplies were made locally (Tibandebage et al. 2014). Local firms supply a declining share of medicines (Wangwe et al. 2014) and a narrow range of other supplies including bed nets, bedsheets and mattresses, topical products such as white spirit, medical furniture and cleaning products (Israel et al. 2014)