EAC Demonstrates Preparedness for the Next Outbreak at the World Health Summit

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 6^th May, 2026: The East African Community (EAC) demonstrated its preparedness for the next outbreak at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, highlighting strengthened regional systems, coordinated response, and partnerships that enable faster detection and effective action. Held under the theme "Reimagining Africa's Health Systems: Innovation, Integration and Interdependence," the meeting underscored a shift toward integrated and resilient systems and was officially opened on 27^th April, 2026 by the Kenyan President, H.E. President William Ruto.

For East Africa, where health threats are inherently cross-border due to mobility, trade, and shared ecosystems, such coordination is critical. The Summit provided a strategic platform to align regional and global efforts, position the East African Community (EAC) as a central coordinating actor, and ensure that investments translate into faster detection, more effective response, and stronger protection of communities.

At the meeting, the EAC demonstrated how sustained partnership with the Government of Germany and other global health actors is strengthening regional outbreak preparedness and response across Partner States. A key highlight was a live simulation exercise on the clinical management of Ebola and Marburg patients. In an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) setting, specialized health practitioners during the exercise showcased infection prevention and control protocols, correct use of personal protective equipment, and real-time coordination under pressure.

This demonstrated how trained multidisciplinary teams can respond effectively in high-risk scenarios, translating preparedness into operational readiness, while leveraging regional deployment mechanisms such as the EAC Rapidly Deployable Expert (RDE) Pool and the Africa CDC's African Volunteers Health Corps.

The simulation event was officiated by Hon. Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, Deputy Secretary General of the EAC, and Birgit Pickel, Director-General for Africa at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Highlighting the EAC's comparative advantage, Hon. Ariik emphasised, "Regional cooperation allows Partner States to act as one system rather than individually. Through the early sharing of surveillance data, coordinated cross-border responses, and harmonised guidelines for detection, treatment and communication, this approach ensures faster detection, consistent messaging, and more efficient use of limited resources-especially for diseases that do not respect borders."

In addition to the simulation, the EAC contributed to two high-level discussions: "Strengthening Global Health Security within the East African Community through Surveillance and Laboratory Diagnostics" and "Resilient Systems and Rapid Response: Innovative Strategies for Africa's Short- and Long-Term Epidemic Preparedness."

At the World Health Summit Regional Meeting, the EAC also pre-launched the Training in the East African Community for High Consequence Infectious Diseases (TEACH), which is an initiative, with technical support from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, to strengthen intensive care capacity for managing high-risk infectious diseases such as Ebola and Marburg.

"The EAC TEACH initiative, supported by Germany, reflects our shared commitment to strengthening clinical capacity and improving survival outcomes during high-consequence outbreaks," said the Kenyan Permanent Secretary in the Principal Secretary, State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, Ms Mary Muthoni Muriuki.

"EAC leadership and Germany's support, investing in workforce development, laboratory systems, and community surveillance ensures Africa builds sustainable, independent, and rapid epidemic response mechanisms," she added.

Together with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), WHO Regional Office for Africa, and Africa CDC, alongside technical partners including Charité, GIZ, and the German Epidemic Preparedness Team (SEEG), the EAC continues to strengthen surveillance, expand diagnostic capacity, enhance infection prevention and control, and build a workforce ready for rapid, coordinated response.

"Strong regional cooperation and reliable partnerships are essential for global health security," emphasized Dr. Tania Vorwerk, Deputy General Global Health, Resilience, Equality of Opportunity of BMZ during her panel interventions.

"Germany supports the East African Community in strengthening mechanisms such as the Rapidly Deployable Expert Pool, enabling the timely deployment of skilled professionals to respond to outbreaks. Pandemic preparedness is a shared responsibility-protecting not only the region, but the world."

Through support of the Government of Germany, the EAC established the EAC RDE Pool and a regional Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) web platform. At the operational level, the RDE Pool, now comprising over 180 trained public health professionals, has already supported cross-border deployments for Mpox, Marburg, Ebola, and Anthrax outbreaks, to enable capacity for faster, coordinated, and multidisciplinary interventions while fostering continuous learning and collaboration with partners such as Africa CDC and WHO.

The RCCE web platform provides a rapid channel for sharing critical information before, during, and after public health emergencies. This is complemented by a network of over 30 trained national RCCE focal points and multidisciplinary experts, improving coordination, consistency of messaging, and the region's ability to counter misinformation.

Through the collaboration between the EAC and the Government of Germany, diagnostic capacity has also been strengthened through the deployment of 9 mobile laboratory systems. These fully mobile units can be deployed within hours, enabling rapid, field-based testing for diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola, Marburg, and Mpox. This has dramatically reduced diagnostic time, improved outbreak containment, and supported the training of national laboratory personnel, including expansion into areas such as antimicrobial resistance.

At community and border levels, the collaboration has reinforced prevention efforts through Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions. A total of 43 handwashing stations have been installed or rehabilitated at points of entry and high-risk cross-border areas. Combined with community sensitisation and infection prevention training, the WASH initiatives have reached more than 5 million people through awareness and behaviour change campaigns-strengthening public trust, improving risk communication, and enhancing the region's ability to respond to cross-border health threats.

These interventions are guided by a One Health approach, linking human, animal, and environmental health, to ensure preparedness efforts are comprehensive, sustainable, and aligned across sectors.

In public health, outbreaks are not won at the moment of crisis, but through systems, coordination, and preparedness built long before they occur.

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.eac.int

About the East African Community:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. The EAC aims to expand and deepen economic, political, social, and cultural integration to improve the quality of life of the people of East Africa through increased competitiveness, value-added production, trade, and investment.