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Health

EAC and IOM join hands to tackle infectious diseases

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 26th August 2021: Extensive land borders, along with previous disease outbreaks, make the six-member East African Community (EAC) susceptible to communicable infections, including cholera, measles, rift valley fever, yellow fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and e.coli infections.

However, thanks to a financial contribution of EUR 1.5 million from the German government, over one million people will be reached with health and hygiene promotion initiatives, in addition to 19 hand-washing facilities due to be installed in hot spot areas.

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Study indicates there was no Covid-19 in the EAC region before March 2020

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 23rd August 2021: COVID-19 most probably did not exist in the East African region before the first official cases were reported in March 2020, a study by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC) indicates. 

The study aimed at verifying if COVID-19 infections had already occurred in the region in 2019 and therefore way before the first cases in Africa were reported by WHO in February 2020. It retested frozen swab samples taken from patients who presented with Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) between 01st November 2019 and 29th February 2020.  

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The East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki with Dr. Aflodis Kagaba pose for a picture shortly after their meeting.

East African Health Platform pays courtesy call on EAC Secretary General

…as the Secretary General calls for more action as opposed to advocacy from Civil Society and Private Sector

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 13th August, 2021: A delegation from the East African Health Platform (EAHP) led by Dr. Aflodis Kagaba, today paid a courtesy call on the Secretary General of the East African Community, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Hon. (Dr). Mathuki and Dr. Kagaba discussed the role of the Civil Society and Private Sector in health matters in the region. 

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Preparations in high gear for the 8th East Africa Health and Scientific Conference

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 30th July, 2021: The 8th East Africa Health and Scientific Conference and International Health Exhibition and Trade Fair (EAHSC) is set to be held under a hybrid format in Nairobi, Kenya from 17th to 19th November, 2021 under the theme: East African Community Sustainable Development Goal on Health: Reflection and Path ahead to 2030.

The Conference will offer a wide range of technical presentations reflecting developments in the Health sector in the region and around the world. Discussions will focus on areas such as Reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health; Infectious Diseases; Universal Health Coverage; as well as Non-communicable diseases such as mental health and environmental risks.

The 2021 edition of the EAHSC will also incorporate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the region, specifically, the lessons learned and the epidemiology of the pandemic. Further, the Conference will provide room for discussions around Covid-19 vaccines - with a particular focus on: the procurement aspect, and the perception of the vaccines by citizens in the region; Covid-19 coverage and monitoring; management of Covid-19 cases; as well as the Covid-19 variants identified in the region.

The 8th EAHSC will also feature an international health exhibition and trade fair. Research institutions, health care facilities, medical/health academic institutions, medical and pharma industries, NGO's, CSO's, Ministries, EAC Secretariat, International organizations, UN agencies (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNESCO, etc.) will showcase their services and products at the fair.

Participants to showcase products from research, academia, healthcare services and the health sector in general at the exhibition and trade fair.

Call for Abstracts

The East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC) invites scholars, health professionals, scientists to submit their abstracts under the following thematic areas:

Abstract Topics

Main Theme: East African Community Sustainable Development Goal on Health: Reflection and Path Ahead to 2030. 

Sub-theme 1: Reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health

Sub-theme 2: Infectious Diseases

Sub-theme 3: Non-communicable diseases, mental health and environmental risks, substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol, tobacco, global deaths, and injuries from road traffic accidents.

Sub-theme 4: Universal Health Coverage

Sub-theme 5: COVID-19 Pandemic

Submission of Abstracts will close on 4th September, 2021.  

All Abstracts should be submitted via  https://conferences.eahealth.org/call-for-abstract

About the EAHSC

The EAC Council of Ministers approved convening of the biennual event and to be hosted on a rotational basis by the EAC Partner States through their respective National Ministries responsible for EAC Affairs, Ministries responsible for Health, and other relevant organizations, and in close collaboration with regional and international health-related NGOs, civil society organizations, individuals, and stakeholders.

The Health and Scientific conferences provide a forum to contribute towards strengthening regional cooperation in the health sector, in line with Article 118 of the Treaty for the establishment of EAC as well as other relevant provisions of the EAC Common Market Protocol. 

For more information on the Conference, please visit https://conferences.eahealth.org

For more information, please contact:

Simon Peter Owaka
Senior Public Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 768 552087
Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001: 2015 Certified

Development of integrated Information Management System for EAC Partner States National Medicines Regulatory Authorities currently underway

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 21st July, 2021:  A technical meeting of the EAC Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (EAC-MRH) Programme to develop an Integrated Information Management System (IIMS) for National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) is underway in Karatu, Tanzania.  

The EAC has been implementing the MRH programme since March 2012 with the aim of harmonising technical requirements and optimising processes for medicines regulation to facilitate timely access to safe, affordable, efficacious and quality essential medicines, vaccines and medical devices for treatment, management and diagnosis of diseases of public health importance. 

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Second Phase of the EAC Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases Project launched in Arusha

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 11th June, 2021: The second phase of the EAC Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases Project was launched on Friday at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.  

The three-year second phase of the project funded by the Federal Government of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW), is set to further strengthen the capacities of the EAC Partner States to respond to outbreaks of infectious diseases, including bacterial diseases and cross-border epidemics.  

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EAC set to launch second phase of Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases Project

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 9th June, 2021: The second phase of the EAC Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases Project will be launched on 11th June, 2021 at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Funded by the Federal Government of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW), the three year second phase of the project is set to further strengthen the capacities of the EAC Partner States to respond to outbreaks of infectious diseases, including bacterial diseases and cross-border epidemics.

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20th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health underway

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 21th April, 2021: The 20th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers responsible for Health is currently underway via hybrid (physical and virtual) means. 

The five –day meeting kicked off with the Session of Senior Officials, which is expected to conclude today 21st April, 2021.This will be followed by the Coordination Committee, which consists of the Permanent/Principal Secretaries on 22nd April, 2021 while the Ministerial Session will take place on Friday 23rd April, 2021. 

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EAC strengthens capacity of staff at Ports for the prevention and detection of COVID-19

East African Community, Arusha, Tanzania, 12th March 2021: Human mobility across countries has been one of the main sectors that facilitated the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the world, and many of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the EAC region have also had a history of travel. After staff at international airports and border posts in the EAC region was trained as trainers on preparedness and response measures to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, the first of 4 trainings at major harbors in the EAC region has started at the port of Mombasa, Republic of Kenya, on Monday, 8 March 2021. The trainings are convened by the EAC Secretariat and organised and conducted by AMREF Flying Doctors (AFD) in cooperation with WHO.  

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EAC Secretariat contributes to establishing a One Health workforce in the region

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 15 December 2020: Outbreaks of infectious diseases are not only a health concern but affect many sectors. In the case of the current COVID-19 pandemic education, tourism and trade were among those that were hardest hit. The EAC Secretariat addresses this issue by applying the One Health approach in disease management. The approach involves all areas of society that would be affected by a disease outbreak, can contribute to preventing and combating it and to mitigating its impact. “In an effort to establish and train an urgently needed, strong One Health workforce, the EAC Secretariat with support from universities in all EAC Partner States and from the German Government developed a regional, generic, interdisciplinary postgraduate course on “Pandemic Preparedness with a One Health Approach (PPOH)”, explains the Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, Deputy Secretary General Productive and Social Sectors. “The curriculum will enable these experts to consider the needs of various stakeholders stronger, when mitigating the impact of disease outbreaks like COVID-19”.

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East African Community
EAC Close
Afrika Mashariki Road
P.O. Box 1096
Arusha
United Republic of Tanzania

Tel: +255 (0)27 216 2100
Fax: +255 (0)27 216 2190
Email: eac@eachq.org  |  sgoffice@eachq.org