DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The East African Community (EAC) on Thursday launched its first Regional Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Policy Framework to strengthen collective action against public health emergencies across its eight partner states.
A statement issued by the EAC said the framework, unveiled at its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, was approved by the 25th EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health in May 2025.
The framework provides a roadmap for enhancing disease surveillance, preparedness and response, with a focus on equity and the protection of vulnerable populations. It adopts a One Health approach and calls for cross-sectoral collaboration to address disease risks that cross national and sectoral boundaries, the statement said.
Speaking at the launch, EAC Deputy Secretary-General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth said the framework draws on lessons from recent outbreaks, including Ebola, Marburg virus disease, COVID-19, cholera and mpox.
"Pandemic preparedness is not the responsibility of the health sector alone. It requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach," he said, stressing the importance of coordinated regional action.
The EAC comprises Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. ■
