Dorcas Omukhulu, acting director of the social sector at the EAC Secretariat and Burkard Koemm, Programme Manager EAC/GIZ PanPrep Project with part of doctors taking place in the EAC regional training on high-consequence infectious diseases, at the Aga Khan University Centre for Innovative Medical Education, Nairobi / MARTIN MWITA
The East African Community is stepping up investment
in disease surveillance and frontline health capacity, with Kenya at the centre
of a regional effort to protect cross-border trade and supply chains.
This is from disruptions caused by infectious disease
outbreaks with the EAC estimating that approximately $45 million (Sh5.8 billion)
is required to effectively respond to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fever
outbreaks in the region.
It has since appealed to development partners and
other stakeholders to support regional preparedness and response efforts.
The regional bloc says diseases such as Ebola and
Marburg pose an economic threat beyond the health sector as millions of people
and tonnes of goods move across East African borders every day.
An outbreak that is not detected and contained early
in one country can quickly spread to neighbouring markets, disrupting
transport, trade, tourism and business activity.
The EAC is currently training 120 doctors, nurses and
other frontline health professionals from all eight Partner States in the
management of high-consequence infectious diseases, including Ebola and
Marburg.
The five-day training is being held in Nairobi under
the Training in the East African Community for High-Consequence Infectious
Diseases (tEACh) programme, an initiative of the EAC and German Agency for
International Cooperation (GIZ).
It is being held at the Aga Khan University Centre for
Innovative Medical Education and brings together clinical experts from Charité
– Universitätsmedizin Berlin, East African clinicians, representatives of
national Emergency Operations Centres and the World Health Organisation.
The programme is designed to build specialised
expertise within the region, equipping health professionals to detect, isolate
and manage cases while enabling them to train colleagues in their respective
countries.
According to experts, stronger disease surveillance
could reduce the risk of prolonged restrictions at border crossings and other
points of entry, particularly for companies dependent on uninterrupted movement
of cargo, employees and customers.
“Through this regional training, the EAC is building a
common pool of health professionals with the practical skills to detect, manage
and contain outbreaks while strengthening the ability of partner states to
respond together when a public health emergency occurs,” said EAC acting director
in charge of social sectors, Dorcas Omukhulu.
The bloc has already established a Mobile Laboratory
Network comprising 10 laboratories across seven partner states, providing rapid
diagnostic capacity at strategic locations and points of entry.
The laboratories include deployments in Beni, Busia,
Nimule-Elegu, Kobero and Bwera and have supported responses to Ebola, Marburg,
Covid-19 and Mpox.
The EAC plans to more than triple the network to 34
mobile laboratories by the end of 2027, with additional support from Germany’s
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through KfW.
The investment comes as East African economies seek
deeper regional integration and greater movement of goods and people across
borders, making disease surveillance an increasingly important component of
regional economic resilience.
Germany has committed Sh724.8 million (€4.8 million)
to scale up Ebola preparedness and response efforts.
The funding will support the training of 500 frontline
health workers, community sensitisation targeting 15,000 people in eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo, procurement of 20,000 personal protective
equipment sets and support for registration of new Bundibugyo Ebola vaccines in
EAC Partner States once approved by WHO.
GIZ Programme Manager for Support to Pandemic
Preparedness in the EAC Region Burkard Kömm said effective response depends on
trained personnel, equipment and systems that work across borders.
“Germany, through its cooperation with the EAC, is
supporting the region to strengthen these capacities and ensure that the
knowledge and skills developed through this programme remain within the
region,” he said.
The wider economic argument is that preparedness could
prove less disruptive and costly than responding to uncontrolled outbreaks
after they spread across borders.
The EAC’s preparedness strategy is built around strengthening
surveillance, supporting case management and improving regional coordination,
with training workshops continuing until November 2026.
The programme is expected to leave each Partner State
with trained trainers and critical care providers, reducing reliance on
external expertise during future outbreaks.
For Kenya, which serves as a major regional transport
and trade hub, stronger preparedness at points of entry could help support
continuity of movement along key regional trade corridors during future health
emergencies.