EAC secures Sh1.2 billion from Germany and KfW to bolster Ebola preparedness

The East African Community (EAC) has secured €8 million (about Sh1.2 billion) in fresh support from Germany and KfW Development Bank to bolster regional Ebola response efforts and strengthen preparedness against other infectious diseases.

The package includes  €5 million, approximately Sh749.4 million for Mpox response and laboratory capacity enhancement, and an additional €3 million (about Sh449.6 million) for Ebola interventions, alongside the donation of 500 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for frontline health workers.

The funding agreement was signed at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha by EAC Secretary General Amb. Stephen P. Mbundi and KfW Development Bank Country Director for Tanzania and the EAC, Ms Vanessa Eidt, as the region intensifies efforts to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak and improve its readiness for future public health threats.

According to the EAC, the €5 million partnership with KfW Development Bank will support the response to Mpox and other highly infectious diseases while strengthening laboratory capacity across the region. Germany has separately committed an additional €3 million specifically towards Ebola response efforts.

In addition, Germany has provided 500 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to support frontline health workers involved in outbreak preparedness and response activities.

The EAC has also deployed ten mobile laboratories across seven Partner States — Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

"These mobile laboratories provide rapid diagnostic services that enable early detection, confirmation of cases, and timely outbreak containment," the statement read.

The laboratories are expected to significantly reduce turnaround times for testing, enabling health authorities to quickly identify cases and implement control measures before outbreaks spread further.

EAC Partner States has also been facilitating the deployment of technical experts at strategic locations, including border points of entry and identified hotspots, to strengthen surveillance and emergency response systems.

The latest support comes as East African countries remain on high alert over the evolving Ebola situation in the region.

Earlier this month, EAC Ministers of Health agreed to harmonise Ebola surveillance and protective measures at all airports, ports and land border crossings across the region.

They also approved the establishment of a dedicated Regional Technical Taskforce to coordinate the response to the ongoing Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak, underscoring the growing emphasis on collective action and cross-border cooperation in safeguarding public health.