The East African Community (EAC) has secured €8 million (about Sh1.2 billion) in German funding to strengthen the region’s response to Ebola, Mpox and other infectious diseases, as it intensifies efforts to enhance cross-border disease surveillance, laboratory capacity and outbreak preparedness across East Africa.
The agreement includes a €5 million partnership with KfW Development Bank aimed at supporting Mpox response and reinforcing regional health security systems, alongside an additional €3 million commitment from Germany to bolster Ebola preparedness and response efforts.
“The EAC is scaling up regional efforts to respond to the ongoing Ebola outbreak and strengthen preparedness against infectious diseases,” the regional body said.
The financing is expected to improve early detection, strengthen laboratory networks, and enhance coordinated outbreak response mechanisms across EAC Partner States.
The agreement was signed at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha by EAC Secretary General Stephen Patrick Mbundi and KfW Development Bank Country Director for Tanzania and the EAC, Vanessa Eidt.
Officials said the partnership reflects growing international support for regional health resilience amid recurring outbreaks of infectious diseases that continue to strain public health systems in the region.
As part of ongoing preparedness efforts, the EAC has already deployed ten mobile laboratories across seven Partner States, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
The mobile units are designed to provide rapid diagnostic services to enable early detection, confirmation of cases and timely containment of outbreaks.
In addition, Germany has provided 500 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to support frontline health workers involved in outbreak preparedness and response activities.
The EAC has also been facilitating the deployment of technical experts to strategic locations, including border points of entry and identified disease hotspots, to strengthen surveillance and coordination efforts.
Officials said the latest funding will further strengthen laboratory capacity across the region, improve emergency preparedness and support coordinated regional response frameworks for epidemic-prone diseases, as East Africa continues to face the threat of highly infectious disease outbreaks.
Comments
Sign in with Google to comment, reply, and like comments.
Continue with Google