DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 8 — The East African Community (EAC) is strengthening regional cooperation to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to cross-border public health threats, including Ebola and other emerging and re-emerging diseases.
According to a statement issued Thursday at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania’s northern city, the 26th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health, which concluded Tuesday in Arusha, endorsed measures to strengthen regional health security.
The ministers called for enhanced implementation of the EAC Health Decisions and Directives Tracking Mechanism, including regular reviews and a decision implementation dashboard to ensure regional commitments translate into measurable results.
The statement said the ministers also noted progress in the EAC Pooled Procurement Mechanism, with all eight member states onboarded and trained on a digital information-sharing platform.
The mechanism is expected to improve access to medicines, vaccines and diagnostics while supporting regional production and reducing dependence on external supply chains, the statement said.
The ministers further reviewed the EAC Regional Information Sharing Platform for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, aimed at improving real-time information sharing, surveillance and evidence-based decision-making, said the statement.
EAC Secretary General Stephen Mbundi said the bloc would continue supporting preparedness through mobile laboratories, protective equipment and training of frontline health workers.
The EAC has established a network of 10 mobile laboratories across seven member states and plans to expand it to 34 by the end of 2027. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
