By Mandere Onyinkwa
The East African Community (EAC) has launched a Regional Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) Policy Framework aimed at strengthening collective action against public health emergencies across the region.
Unveiled at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, the framework provides a harmonised roadmap to improve surveillance, preparedness and response among the eight EAC Partner States, drawing lessons from recent outbreaks including COVID-19, Ebola, Marburg, cholera and Mpox.
Approved by the 25th EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health in May 2025, the policy prioritises collaboration among Partner States and places vulnerable populations at the centre of equitable public health systems.
It also adopts the One Health approach, recognising the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health.
EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, said the launch comes at a critical time for the region.
“We have learnt that pandemic preparedness is not the responsibility of the health sector alone. It requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach,” Malueth said.
She emphasised that regional solidarity will be key to managing future health threats.
“Our strength lies in coordinated action, shared responsibility, and regional solidarity. This framework provides a practical foundation to move from policy to implementation at national, sub-national, and cross-border levels,” she added.
Africa Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) Deputy Executive Director Dr. Joseph Gicheru lauded the partnership between APHRC and the EAC that culminated in the framework’s development.
“The adoption of the Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) Policy Framework in May 2025 stands as a powerful endorsement of what we can achieve when we choose unity over isolation,” Dr. Gicheru said.
Delivering a keynote address, Acting Director General of Kenya’s National Public Health Institute, Dr. Kamene Kimenye, highlighted the region’s shared vulnerability to emerging and endemic diseases.
“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in surveillance, diagnostics, supply chains, and vaccine access,” Dr. Kimenye noted.
“This Policy Framework offers a comprehensive blueprint to strengthen resilience through cross-border coordination, digital innovation, sustainable financing, and meaningful community engagement.”
The framework seeks to address long-standing challenges such as fragmented coordination, weak surveillance systems and limited resources, while leveraging opportunities in digital health, pooled procurement, regulatory harmonisation and regional pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The EAC said the launch marks a significant milestone in efforts to build a coordinated, interoperable and resilient regional health system capable of preventing, detecting and responding to future pandemics.
Governments, development partners, research institutions, civil society, the private sector and the media have been urged to support implementation to safeguard lives, livelihoods and regional development.