Germany’s Development Bank (KfW) has awarded €1 million to the East African Community (EAC) to bolster regional efforts to contain and prevent the spread of Ebola.
The funding was announced during the EAC’s eighth extraordinary meeting of health ministers, where officials from member states discussed measures to strengthen preparedness and mobilize resources to combat the disease.
According to the EAC, the grant will finance the deployment of mobile laboratories, the procurement of testing and diagnostic equipment, and the training of laboratory personnel across the region.
Health ministers welcomed the support, describing it as a significant boost to ongoing efforts to enhance disease surveillance and emergency response capacity in East Africa.
They also commended the EAC Secretariat and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) for their continued work in mobilizing additional resources to support Ebola preparedness and improve the region’s ability to respond to future public health threats.
The ministers further directed the EAC Secretariat, in collaboration with partner states, to develop a coordinated regional framework for Ebola prevention, response and recovery.
The meeting noted that insecurity in some affected areas continues to hamper critical public health interventions, including community sensitization, contact tracing, safe burials and traveler screening.
To address these challenges, ministers agreed to convene a multi-sectoral meeting to assess security concerns linked to Ebola response efforts and their potential impact on regional trade and the free movement of people under the EAC Common Market.
