East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 19th May, 2018:
On 8 May, 2018, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) declared an outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Bikoro Health Zone, Equateur Province in the Western part of the country.
By 15 May, 2018 a total of 44 EVD cases (3 confirmed) had been reported with 19 deaths, including three health care workers. As of 16 May, 393 contacts had been identified and are being followed. A new confirmed case in the 1.2 million people town of Mbandaka, some 150 km away from Bikoro, increases the risk of spreading the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO), Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organization are on site and supporting the DRC in the fight against the outbreak, the ninth that has occurred in the country.
Ebola is a zoonotic virus disease that is transmitted from animals to humans. Experts believe that bats are the reservoir for the pathogen. While they do not get sick, the Ebola virus causes a severe, often fatal illness in humans. It spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission, via direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people and through contaminated surfaces and materials, such as bedding or clothing. There is no therapy yet for EVD and about 50% of people infected with the virus may die. Health workers have an increased risk due to the nature of their work that exposes them to infected people.
Five out of six EAC Partner States share borders with the DRC, and all of them maintain close trade relations with high border traffic. There are also direct flights between the DRC and individual East African Partner States. These factors have caused the EAC to be on high alert. Partner States have put safety measures in place that range from screening people arriving from DRC at the border posts for signs of the disease to alerting health personnel; enhancing diagnostic capacities at major research centres; and informing citizens of the risk and of preventive measures. To date, no cases of Ebola have been detected in the EAC region.
The EAC region has experienced a number of Ebola outbreaks in the past, and some 500 East African experts assisted in the fight against Ebola in West Africa in 2014-2016, when the disease killed more than 11,000 out of almost 30,000 infected people. These experts represent a unique pool of professionals from different disciplines, all with hands-on experience in responding to EVD outbreaks. They can be mobilised at short notice to join the common effort of preventing the disease to spread into the EAC.
Still, the EAC Secretariat encourages the public to be vigilant and alert. People should seek medical attention when the following symptoms are observed: a sudden onset of fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is often followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, and a skin rash. It can be accompanied by internal and external bleeding (e.g. oozing from the gums, blood in the stools). The public is also urged to continue cooperating with the health workers of their nearest health facilities by availing themselves of information about EVD.
The EAC Secretariat commends the Partner States for their vigilance and quick and prudent response across disciplines as reflected in the One Health approach. The Secretariat will continue to monitor the situation together with the EAC Partner States to detect any occurrence of EVD in the region at the earliest possible time.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
Recognizing the aspiration expressed by EAC Partner States to develop their pharmaceutical industry including vaccine manufacturing, as part of the regions’, social, economic and political integration agenda;
Noting the strategic importance of developing local production of pharmaceutical products in promoting access to affordable quality vaccines as outlined in the EAC Regional Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan Of Action for the period 2017-2027;
Motivated by the growing pharmaceutical spending in Africa at a compound annual growth rate of 10.6%, in particular, the growth in the East African Community (EAC which has the highest pharmaceutical sales growth in Africa estimated at 12.4% in the next five years, and further spurred by a convergence of demographic changes, increasing wealth and healthcare investment, and challenges around increasing cases of chronic diseases.
Cognizant of the utmost importance of strengthening regional and national coordination of industrial and health, policies to ensure a coherent policy environment, reliable government procurement, product quality assurance, and market certainty for local production and improving access to vaccines.
Noting on the one hand that a huge amount of all vaccines supplied by GAVI and other partners go to Africa and that on the other hand a growing number of countries are on a trajectory to graduate out of GAVI support, a huge demand for regional vaccine production can be identified in Africa.
Aware of the positive socio-economic impact that regional manufacturing of vaccines will have on the EAC economies in addition to their secured availability through reforms in the procurement strategy, and noting that effective implementation of procurement policy and practices would catalyse regional vaccine supply,
Conscious of the crucial role played by regional businesses to realise the regional vaccine supply, and the prominent role occupied by transfer of technology as a means to promoting local production in developing countries and improving access to vaccines with the intent of enabling the technological or manufacturing capacity in the region;
Reaffirming the necessity for states and private entities to work together to guarantee a regulatory framework in which businesses focussing on regional vaccine production can flourish;
Eager to build upon the important momentum the present symposium has triggered a follow-up by all parties present shall be guaranteed whilst inviting others to join these efforts; and
Acknowledging the aforementioned and guided by the outmost importance of vaccines in mitigating the social and economic impact caused by infectious diseases, the symposium participants drawn from the public and private sector, gathered on the 18th of April 2018 in Arusha, in order to discuss the opportunities and challenges of regional vaccine production in East Africa region, now resolve as follows:
EAC to develop a harmonized regional policy and regulatory framework for local production of vaccines which will contribute to health security by ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential vaccines and further prevent greater disruptions in rural and poor areas.;
EAC to promote the establishment of a regional bio-technology and vaccine manufacturing hub, to facilitate technology transfer, promote local production and improving access to vaccines with the intent of enabling the technological or manufacturing capacity of the region in a mutually beneficial manner, while promoting public health objectives.
EAC to commit to enhance resources to improve Health system infrastructure and human resources with respect to vaccination (vaccine delivery infrastructure). This should be examined comprehensively to identify gaps and opportunities.
EAC regulatory agencies to share regulatory knowledge and experience and harmonize approaches to inspection and control to greatest extent possible to mitigate health risks associated with large volumes of biological medicinal products crossing national borders,
EAC to consider establishing a regional vaccine manufacturing facility either through public-private partnership or purely public agency to meet the regional demand for vaccine supplies within the framework of regional industries. In this regards, there is need for quick harmonization of the relevant national and regional procurement and distribution policies and Identify opportunities and incentives to promote local production and sourcing of vaccines and related materials.
EAC in collaboration with East African Business Council; Federation of East African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers FEAPM to explore the scope for formation of advocacy platform and networks for Vaccine manufacturing comprising governmental organizations, researchers, private sector to provide forum to discuss challenges, opportunities and emerging issues including diseases and partnership;
AS first step towards vaccine production in the region, EAC to give priority to pool procurement of vaccine as an opportunity to lower the prices for vaccine and ensure stable access and supply. Regional mechanisms with specific agreed term of references should be established to look at the procurement criteria and negotiation with manufacturers. A similar example from ECOWAS should be studied;
EAC to put in place fiscal and non fiscal incentive frameworks that will promote local production of vaccines and drive investments in the pharmaceutical sector local production in general. In addition the EAC Partner States to put in place a conducive investment climate that will lower the cost of doing business and promote foreign direct investment that is market driven.
EAC to collaborate with academia, East African Science and Technology Commision (EASTECO), and other partners to promote best practices, science, technology and innovation to enhance competitiveness in local production of vaccines.
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 18th April, 2018:
The 1st East African Vaccine Production Symposium kicked off in Arusha, Tanzania today with the Chairperson of the East African Community Council of Ministers, Hon. Dr. Kirunda Kivejinja, disclosing that the Community produces less than 30 per cent of the medicines required by its citizens, while importing the rest.
Hon. Kivejinja, who is also Uganda’s 2nd Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for EAC Affairs, further said that vaccines were among a category of medicines for which the region wholly depends on imports because there was currently no local production capacity.
Dr. Kivejinja, however, pointed out that the EAC had the highest projected pharmaceutical sales growth on the continent estimated at 12.4% over the next five years, a fact which points to immense business and investment opportunities for the private sector.
Hon. Kivejinja said it was worrying that communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, and diaorrhea which were preventable were among the leading causes of death in the EAC, adding that the statistics for Sub-Saharan Africa were also not good.
“According to the World Health Organisation, non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and chronic respiratory disease are projected to overtake communicable diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Deaths from non-communicable diseases are expected to account for 42% of all deaths by 2020, up from roughly 25% today,” he said.
Hon. Kivejinja also launched the 2nd EAC Regional Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan of Action for the period 2017-2027, a plan that he said serve as a roadmap to guide the Community towards evolving into an efficient and effective regional pharmaceutical manufacturing hub.
“We have the need and you have the capacity to satisfy our need,” Hon. Kivejinja told private sector representatives.
He outlined a number of potential niches for expansion of the local product portfolio highlighted in the plan, namely the production of advanced formulations for non-communicable diseases, veterinary pharmaceuticals and development of natural products and traditional medicines.
“The plan also focuses on supporting production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients as well as promoting the sector specific service industry,” he added.
EAC Secretary General Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, in remarks read on his behalf by the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, said that the EAC was keen on upscaling its efforts on the transformation of regional economies through value addition, manufacturing and processing in the pharmaceutical sector.
Amb. Mfumukeko noted that compared with other regions on the continent, the pharmaceutical spending in the EAC region was the highest with an estimated current market rate of US$5.3 billion.
“In Africa, the pharmaceutical spending is currently estimated at US$30 billion and this value is driven by a 10.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) second only to Asia Pacific (12.5%) and in line with Latin America (10.5%). Spurred by a convergence of demographic changes, increased wealth and healthcare investment and rising demand for medicines to treat chronic diseases, this market potentially represents a US$45 billion opportunity by 2020,” said the Secretary General.
Amb. Mfumukeko said that the region currently suffers from several challenges in pharmaceuticals production including a skills gap in product development and formulation expertise, and lack of appropriate and affordable financing for the sector.
Speaking at the forum, Ms. Asmau Nitardy, the Eastern Africa Regional Director of the German-African Business Association, said that the German health sector offers great potential to meet East African needs in medical technology and pharmaceutical sector.
“Innovative solutions are needed in healthcare infrastructure with the improvement of healthcare systems being an important policy focus in East Africa. The other major trend is the rising demand for medicines and equipment to treat chronic, non-communicable diseases,” said Nitardy.
“German companies are already well placed to cater to both industries having long-standing ties with various East African nations. The high quality of their products technical expertise in training local staff has made German medical companies a valuable partner to local authorities,” she added.
Also present at the event were the Rwandan Minister of Health, Dr. Diane Gashumba, Dr. Dafrossa Lyimo, Head of the Immunization Programme in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Kirsten Focken, the GIZ Programme Manager, and Mr. Nazeem Mohammed, the Chairman of the Federation of East African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 9th March, 2018:
The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is keen on helping Africa to improve its healthcare systems, a delegation of South Korean MPs who visited the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, disclosed today.
Jun Hye Sook, a Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, who led the delegation of three MPs who visited the EAC Secretariat, said that the country had put in place a programme to train African doctors, medical experts and nurses in South Korea.
“Korea is aiming at teaching doctors and medical experts who will return home to serve their people,” she said.
“We also have Korean experts coming to African to build capacity among their African counterparts,” adding that the country was also contributing towards the upgrading of health infrastructure on the continent.
Hon. Sook and her team who held talks with the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, and other EAC officials, said South Korea was currently assisting in the construction of additional facilities at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Hon. Sook said her country was particularly keen on assisting African families who can’t afford to access quality healthcare due to abject poverty. The legislator said that Korean medicines were of world class quality.
The delegation, however, informed the Secretary General that Korean experts coming to East Africa were facing challenges in acquiring visas and work permits which would enable them to volunteer their services in the region.
Hon. Sook disclosed that South Korea had consistently increased her development assistance to Africa over the years with total aid quadrupling from US$107 million in 2008 to US$421 million in 2016.
“Most of the Korean aid to African countries goes towards water, health, education, energy and infrastructure development projects,” said the lawmaker.
In his remarks, EAC Secretary General Amb. Mfumukeko assured the Korean delegation that the Community would work closely with Partner States’ governments to address the issue of visa and work permits being encountered by Korean experts coming to the region to build capacity among doctors and other healthcare personnel.
He thanked South Korea for her generous assistance to the health sector, adding that the training of doctors, nurses and other medical specialists was crucial to the EAC.
“We have an ongoing programme for training of doctors, medical experts and nurses in Nairobi and Kampala. We also have programmes for strengthening the capacity of medical testing laboratories in the region. Also high on our agenda are vaccination programmes and manufacture of pharmaceuticals,” said Amb. Mfumukeko.
The SG said that the Community was keen on decentralizing health facilities from the Partner States capitals to secondary cities.
The SG said that East Africa looks up to Korea as an inspiration for development particularly in industrialization. He urged Koreans to seek partnerships and invest in the region noting that East Africa was ready to work with Korea in skills development and technology transfer.
He informed the Korean delegation that the Community had unveiled its 5th Development Strategy two weeks ago, adding that among the highlights in the Strategy are industrial development through increased investment, skills and technology transfer, and the creation of employment for the youth.
Also in the Korean delegation were MPs Kim Gyu Hwan and Song Ok-Joo and Ms. Jiin An, the First Secretary and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Korean Embassy in Dar es Salaam.
Amb. Mfumukeko was accompanied at the meeting by Eng. Steven Mlote, EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Ms. Suma Mwakyusa, Principal International Relations Officer, Mr. Julius Birungi, the Partnership Fund Manager, and Ms. Beata Mukabaranga, Principal Resource Mobilization Officer.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community, Kampala, Uganda, 21st February, 2018:
The Chairperson of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health and Minister of State Health in the Republic of Uganda, Hon Sarah Opendi, has said that the region is committed to eliminate HIV/AIDs and preventable maternal and child deaths by 2030.
Hon. Opendi urged stakeholders to work diligently to build consensus in the health sector in order to build the health of the EAC population.
Hon Opendi was speaking during the official opening of the 1st EAC Roundtable on investing in Health Infrastructure, systems, services and research for the accelerated attainment of Universal Health coverage and sustainable development at the Speke Resort Munyonyo, in Kampala, Uganda.
The Minister underscored the importance of investing in health, which is the most direct route of creating wealthy nations.
“Poor health hinders our ability to realize national and global socio-economic aspiration set out in the national development plans, Common Market Protocol, the EAC vision 2050 and SDGs,” she said.
She said the roundtable comes at time when the region was still facing major challenges of emerging and re-emerging diseases which calls for increased investment in human financial and technological resources by various stakeholders
“It is my sincere hope that this roundtable dialogue shall come up with concrete proposals and build consensus on priority health infrastructure systems, services and research investments with the highest potential to accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage and the health related sustainable development goals,” said Hon. Opendi.
She disclosed that the EAC Partner States were currently expanding the regions capacity to deliver high quality specialized health services through EAC Regional Centre of Excellence for higher medical education and research with the support from the African Development Bank.
On his part, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Productive and Social Sectors, Hon Christophe Bazivamo on behalf of the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, underscored the importance of regional cooperation in health within the context of EAC Common Market Protocol to be buttressed on harnessing the comparative advantage of all stakeholders including Public, Private and Civil Society.
“Through collaborative actions the region will reposition health as a key driver of economic growth and contribute to the attainment of the other pillars of regional integration,” said Hon. Bazivamo.
The Deputy Secretary General informed stakeholders at the roundtable that the region had made significant progress in many areas including expanding the capacity for delivery of high quality health services, training and research with the support of development Partners such as AfDB who financed the regional Centres of Excellence to facilitate access to specialized health care and cross border health services.
Hon Bazivamo called upon the stakeholders to use roundtable discussions to consolidate regional partnership in order to strengthen the health sector based on priorities identified by the region.
The 1st EAC Roundtable on investing in Health Infrastructure, system, services and research for the accelerated attainment of Universal Health coverage and sustainable development is being attended by among others, all the Ministers in charge of Health from the EAC Partner States, Permanent /Principal Secretaries and Senior Officials from government institutions and agencies.
The Joint Retreat is aimed at giving impetus to infrastructure and health development by way of harnessing political support for regional flagship projects, funding commitments, and Public-Private Partnerships arrangements.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 8th December, 2017:
A one-day high level National Multi-Stakeholders Advocacy and Sensitization Workshop on strengthening of national pharmaceutical laws and establishment of “autorite nationale de la regulation des medicaments et des aliments (ABREMA)” in the Republic of Burundi was held on 7th December, 2017 at the Panoramique Hotel in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The Minister in the Office of the President Responsible for EAC Affairs, Hon. Isabelle Ndahayo, officiated at the official opening ceremony of the workshop.
Addressing participants who included, among others, Members of Parliament and Permanent Secretaries, the Hon. Minister said that the EAC Partner States had agreed to, among other things, promote the management of health delivery systems and better planning mechanisms to enhance efficiency of health care services within the bloc; develop a common drug policy which would include establishing quality control capacities and good procurement practices; and harmonize drug registration procedures so as to achieve good control of pharmaceutical standards without impeding or obstructing the movement of pharmaceutical products within the Community.
The Minister commended the EAC Secretariat under the leadership of Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko for keenly following up with Partner States to ensure they implemented the directives and decisions of the Council of Ministers.
In his remarks, Amb. Mfumukeko noted that there were some directives and decisions of the EAC Council of Ministers with regard to fast-tracking regional cooperation and integration in the health sector among the Partner States and Burundi was still lagging behind hence the need for the Secretariat to come to Bujumbura to discuss with high level national stakeholders on the way forward.
He said since the year 2008, the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the other EAC Partner States and the World Health Organization (WHO) had been making efforts to involve and build the capacity of the Republic of Burundi in the harmonization and strengthening the environment for the regulation of pharmaceuticals, medical products and various health technologies, adding that the outputs of these efforts had been minimal due to various technical and governance issues.
Amb Mfumukeko reiterated that the EAC Council of Ministers had recommended and urged all Partner States to review, update, strengthen and harmonize their respective national policies, laws, regulations, strategies, guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing the pharmaceutical sector in each Country.
Specifically, the Council of Ministers had urged each Partner State to enact and implement strong National Pharmaceutical Laws through their respective National Parliaments and also to consider and establish strong semi-autonomous National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) in order to promote public health and safety as well as facilitate cross-border trade in medicines, health technologies and other medical products, including enhancing local pharmaceutical manufacturing under the EAC Common Market Protocol.
The Secretary General said that it was regrettable that whereas all the other EAC Partner States had complied and implemented these decisions, Burundi was still lagging behind hence denying the country the benefits of the harmonized EAC Regional Guidelines and Standards for Medicines Evaluation and Registration, Good Manufacturing Practices, Quality Management Systems and Information Management Systems as well the Mutual Reciprocal Recognition and Technical Cooperation with other Partner States and the international medicines regulatory bodies and agencies.
The Secretary General urged the Republic of Burundi to fast-track the enactment and implementation of the Burundi National Pharmaceuticals Regulation Law that is currently before the Parliament of Burundi and also consider and build consensus on the need to establish and fully operationalize the ABREMA as a public autonomous or semi-autonomous body and legally designated to oversee effective regulation of food and medicinal products in Burundi in accordance to the regional and international best practices.
The Secretary General also urged the Government of Burundi to implement some of the pending previous decisions of the EAC Council of Ministers with regard to the strengthening and expanding the governance and regulation of health professionals and the regulation of health services delivery in the country through the establishment of the following semi-autonomous bodies or institutions to handle their respective mandates as happens in the other EAC Partner States and internationally, namely:
i) Establishment of the “Burundi National Health Professions Authority (BNHPA” – Using the model from the Republic of Zimbabwe as agreed by all EAC Countries through the EAC Council of Ministers decisions;
ii) Strengthening of the existing “Burundi Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council” through legal reforms and provision of offices, infrastructure, equipment, secretariat staff and adequate funds;
iii) Establishment of the “Burundi National Nursing and Midwifery Council”;
iv) Establishment of the “Burundi National Pharmacy Council”;
v) Establishment of the “Burundi National Medical Laboratory Scientists, Technologists and Technicians Board”; and
vi) Establishment of the “Burundi National Allied Health Professionals Council”.
Prior to the high-level meeting, Amb. Mfumukeko led an EAC delegation to meet and engage with the 2nd Vice President of the National Assembly, Ms. Jocky Chantal Nkurunziza and Members of the Social Affairs Committee of Parliament of Burundi on 6th December, 2017 to discuss the establishment of the ABREMA and the enactment of the Pharmaceutical Law.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
‘Diseases don’t have passports – they can cross borders’, the Hon. Jesca Eriyo, Deputy Secretary General Finance and Administration of the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat, reminded the participants of a three-day regional conference on ‘Lessons for the Future – What East African Experts learned from fighting the Ebola epidemic in West Africa’. The conference was the first of its kind that brought together 50 of the 500 East African doctors, nurses, epidemiologists and many other health specialists who risked their lives by volunteering to be deployed to West Africa to fight the Ebola epidemic between 2014 and 2016. According to the World Health Organization, the epidemic killed over 11,000 people and more than 30,000 were infected, and there were real fears that the disease could spread to East Africa and beyond.
The conference, with participation from the African Union, from Regional Economic Communities and Regional Health and Development Organizations, from the WHO AFRO office, the UN and other international development partners as well as representatives from Doctors without Borders and others bodies, was held from 6th to 8th November at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) Duduville Campus in Nairobi, Kenya.
The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat decided to host the conference so that the invaluable experiences and knowledge of these East African health experts could be heard, properly documented, and used to inform lessons for the future for preventing, combating and mitigating future outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Over the three days, participants shared their first-hand experiences, discussed the lessons learned and came up with constructive recommendations for future responses. ‘There are some things you can’t learn in a classroom – you only learn from experience,’ said Dr Monica Musenero, WHO’s Field coordinator in Bombali, Sierra Leone and one of the 500 experts from East Africa who volunteered to be deployed to West Africa to help during the Ebola crisis of 2014-16. ’Never in my life did I imagine such an epidemic. It dwarfed everything that had gone before…When I arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone I was unprepared for the horror of what I encountered.’ She compared the experience of fighting Ebola to being at the frontline of a war – ‘except you can’t see the enemy – it’s everywhere.’
Participants discussed the lessons learned from this ‘frontline’ experience and came up with many constructive lessons for improving future responses, including:
Political will is very important for timely declaration and management of epidemics.
Regional and national contingency plans need to be developed and implemented, with adequate resources to prevent and react to future epidemics.
There is a need to establish national and regional teams of experts that can be rapidly deployed in an emergency.
Community engagement is crucial if disease outbreaks are to be effectively contained.
Health systems need to be strengthened and work effectively with other sectors and areas of expertise to ensure a holistic and effective response.
The Hon. Jesca Eriyo said that the lessons learned from the deployed experts’ first-hand experiences would help to strengthen the continents’ future response to outbreaks, and their recommendations would inform the East African Community’s commitment to strengthening health systems and responses, and be presented to the forthcoming East African Head of States summit. She particularly welcomed the participants’ enthusiasm for establishing a pool of experienced experts for rapid deployment in the event of a future emergency.
Dr Zabulon Yeti, head of the WHO AFRO Office in Brazzaville, DRC, welcomed the meeting as an opportunity for deployed exerts to come together and be ‘debriefed’ and talk freely about their experiences. He said he would take five key messages away from the meeting:
Nobody can tackle infectious diseases like Ebola alone. It needs to be a team effort.
Working together leads to better coordination and synergistic actions.
Better local action and early reporting is crucial: the Ebola outbreak in West Africa started with just one case but quickly crossed boundaries and continents.
Ebola is a disease that crossed from animals to humans, so animal and human health and the effects of the environment and climate change are all closely related and need a multi-sectoral ‘One Health’ response.
The key lesson is that containing future outbreaks will need community engagement, and that entails better understanding of culture and traditions and more effective risk communication. Dr Yoti said that some community responders working in West Africa had been stoned and threatened ‘because we did not understand the community.’
Dr Babatunde Jegede from the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health in Lagos spoke on behalf of the West African experts who fought Ebola in the affected countries. During a press briefing he stressed the importance of continuous exchange and close cooperation between and among the African regions for better future preparedness. He and his colleagues present at the conference contributed their experiences from fighting the epidemic and said they would take home the lessons learned from their East African sisters and brothers.
Jesca Eriyo concluded the meeting by thanking all formerly deployed East African experts present who had risked their own lives in the fight against Ebola: ‘From deep down in my heart I thank you and applaud your sacrifice … you will always be celebrated as heroes.’
The conference was organised by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the Federal Government of Germany through the GIZ coordinated ‘Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region’ project and in cooperation with GIZ’s Epidemic Preparedness Team (Schnell Einsetzbare Expertengruppe Gesundheit, SEEG) and the German Development Bank (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, KfW) supported ‘EAC Regional Network of Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases’.
Contact: Othieno Richard Owora: EAC Secretariat
Video and audio interviews with health workers who worked in West Africa, and photos of the conference are available on request.
Kenneth K. Byoona, Risk and Crisis Communication, Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region, GIZ Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: +255 27 250 123
East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 10th November, 2017:
‘Diseases don’t have passports – they can cross borders,' the Hon. Jesca Eriyo, Deputy Secretary General Finance and Administration of the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat, reminded the participants of a three-day regional conference on ‘Lessons for the Future – What East African Experts learned from fighting the Ebola epidemic in West Africa’. The conference was the first of its kind that brought together 50 of the 500 East African doctors, nurses, epidemiologists and many other health specialists who risked their lives by volunteering to be deployed to West Africa to fight the Ebola epidemic between 2014 and 2016. According to the World Health Organization, the epidemic killed over 11,000 people and more than 30,000 were infected, and there were real fears that the disease could spread to East Africa and beyond.
The conference, with participation from the African Union, from Regional Economic Communities and Regional Health and Development Organizations, from the WHO AFRO office, the UN and other international development partners as well as representatives from Doctors without Borders and others bodies, was held from 6th to 8th November at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) Duduville Campus in Nairobi, Kenya.
The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat decided to host the conference so that the invaluable experiences and knowledge of these East African health experts could be heard, properly documented, and used to inform lessons for the future for preventing, combating and mitigating future outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Over the three days, participants shared their first-hand experiences, discussed the lessons learned and came up with constructive recommendations for future responses. ‘There are some things you can’t learn in a classroom – you only learn from experience,’ said Dr Monica Musenero, WHO’s Field coordinator in Bombali, Sierra Leone and one of the 500 experts from East Africa who volunteered to be deployed to West Africa to help during the Ebola crisis of 2014-16. ’Never in my life did I imagine such an epidemic. It dwarfed everything that had gone before…When I arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone I was unprepared for the horror of what I encountered.’ She compared the experience of fighting Ebola to being at the frontline of a war – ‘except you can’t see the enemy – it’s everywhere.’
Participants discussed the lessons learned from this ‘frontline’ experience and came up with many constructive lessons for improving future responses, including:
Political will is very important for timely declaration and management of epidemics.
Regional and national contingency plans need to be developed and implemented, with adequate resources to prevent and react to future epidemics.
There is a need to establish national and regional teams of experts that can be rapidly deployed in an emergency.
Community engagement is crucial if disease outbreaks are to be effectively contained.
Health systems need to be strengthened and work effectively with other sectors and areas of expertise to ensure a holistic and effective response.
The Hon. Jesca Eriyo said that the lessons learned from the deployed experts’ first-hand experiences would help to strengthen the continents’ future response to outbreaks, and their recommendations would inform the East African Community’s commitment to strengthening health systems and responses, and be presented to the forthcoming East African Head of States summit. She particularly welcomed the participants’ enthusiasm for establishing a pool of experienced experts for rapid deployment in the event of a future emergency.
Dr Zabulon Yeti, head of the WHO AFRO Office in Brazzaville, DRC, welcomed the meeting as an opportunity for deployed exerts to come together and be ‘debriefed’ and talk freely about their experiences. He said he would take five key messages away from the meeting:
Nobody can tackle infectious diseases like Ebola alone. It needs to be a team effort.
Working together leads to better coordination and synergistic actions.
Better local action and early reporting is crucial: the Ebola outbreak in West Africa started with just one case but quickly crossed boundaries and continents.
Ebola is a disease that crossed from animals to humans, so animal and human health and the effects of the environment and climate change are all closely related and need a multi-sectoral ‘One Health’ response.
The key lesson is that containing future outbreaks will need community engagement, and that entails better understanding of culture and traditions and more effective risk communication. Dr Yoti said that some community responders working in West Africa had been stoned and threatened ‘because we did not understand the community.’
Dr Babatunde Jegede from the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health in Lagos spoke on behalf of the West African experts who fought Ebola in the affected countries. During a press briefing he stressed the importance of continuous exchange and close cooperation between and among the African regions for better future preparedness. He and his colleagues present at the conference contributed their experiences from fighting the epidemic and took home what they learned from their East African sisters and brothers.
Hon. Eriyo concluded the meeting by thanking all formerly deployed East African experts present who had risked their own lives in the fight against Ebola: ‘From deep down in my heart I thank you and applaud your sacrifice … you will always be celebrated as heroes.’
The conference was organised by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the Federal Government of Germany through the GIZ coordinated ‘Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region’ project and in cooperation with GIZ’s Epidemic Preparedness Team (Schnell Einsetzbare Expertengruppe Gesundheit, SEEG) and the German Development Bank (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, KfW) supported ‘EAC Regional Network of Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases’.
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For more information, please contact:
Kenneth K. Byoona Risk and Crisis Communication Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region, GIZ Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 19 September 2017:
The East African Community meeting on orientation and planning on the operationalization of the Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases (RNPHRL) is underway at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The purpose of the RNPHRL meeting is to strengthen capacities in all five EAC Partner States to respond to pathogens of biosafety level 3 and 4 nature and other outbreaks of infectious diseases, prone to cause cross-border epidemics, by rapid diagnostic capacities that enable timely interventions.
The establishment of the RNPHRL has been necessitated by the growing challenge of epidemics and pandemics including viral haemorrhagic fevers (e.g. Ebola) with devastating impacts on health outcomes and the economy amidst limited infrastructure and human resource capacity of the National and Regional Reference Public Health Laboratory since most of the laboratories are at biosafety level 2.
The 19th – 21st September 2017 meeting will among others share experience among Partner States with regard to the operationalization of National/Central Public Health Reference Laboratories and other key national and international laboratories; orient the EAC Partner State Experts on the requirements for the operationalization of the East African Community Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases at Partner State and develop a calendar of activities/roadmap for the first year (running from October 2017 to June 2018) of implementation of the project including determination of the date and venue for the launch of the project.
Speaking during the opening session on behalf of the EAC Secretary General, Amb Liberat Mfumukeko, the EAC Secretariat Principal Health Officer, Dr. Stanley Sonoiya highlighted the importance of the EAC Partner State Experts to orient on the requirements for the operationalization of the Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases at the Partner State.
He disclosed to the meeting that the establishment of a high-capacity regional network of reference laboratories was prioritized in the 4th EAC Development Strategy (2011/12-2015/16) and remained a major agenda in the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th Meetings of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health also referred to as the Sectoral Council on Health.
He informed meeting that the design of the Project has been aligned with the policy guidance and directives of 12th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health held on 22nd June 2016 as well as the German Development Bank (KfW) Project Appraisal Mission from 8th to 10th December 2015.
On her part, Ms Sanna Stocktrom, Project Manager from KfW said ‘’We are very happy with our relationship and our strong partnership with EAC in the development of the regional bloc’’
She reiterated that the signed financing agreement valued at 10 million euros with the EAC Secretariat on 23rd November 2016 to support the establishment of RNPHRL project underlines that Germany wishes to further strengthen the long-standing and deep relationship it maintains with the East African Community in order to contribute to the well-being and prosperity of its citizens”.
The RNPHRL meeting is being attended by Head of the National/Central Public Health Laboratory; National Head of Disease Prevention and Control; National Head of Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response as well as National Head of the Health Management Information Systems/Strategic Information Management from each of the Partner States.
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Notes to Editor:
The Federal Government of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW) has signed a financing agreement valued at 10 million euros with the EAC Secretariat on 23rd November 2016 to support the establishment and operationalization of the East African Community Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases (EAC – RNPHRL).
The establishment of the EAC – RNPHRL has been necessitated by the growing challenge of epidemics and pandemics including viral haemorrhagic fevers (e.g. Ebola) with devastating impacts on health outcomes and the economy amidst limited infrastructure and human resource capacity of the National and Regional Reference Public Health Laboratory since most of the laboratories are at biosafety level 2.
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 07 June 2017:
The 1st Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health began today with the Session of Senior Officials at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Session of Senior Officials will be followed by the Coordination Committee which comprises Permanent/Principal Secretaries of Health from the EAC Partner States on Thursday, 8th June, 2017.
The highlight of the event will be the Ministers/Cabinet Secretaries Session that will be held on Friday, 9th June, 2017.
Among the items on the agenda is the consideration of the reports of the EAC Joint Re-inspection of various Medical and Dental Teaching Hospitals in the region.
Also on the agenda for discussion will be the establishment of the proposed East African Community College of Medicine and Health Professions, which institution will provide and award specialist postgraduate training fellowship qualifications in medicine and other health professions in East Africa.
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For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department EAC Secretariat Arusha, Tanzania Tel: +255 784 835021 Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
