EAC Ministers of Health list new measures to strengthen response against Ebola

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The East African Community (EAC) Ministers of Health have agreed to harmonise Ebola surveillance and protective measures at all airports, ports and land border crossings across the region.

The measure is to strengthen the prevention of cross-border transmission across all EAC Partner States.

After two days' deliberations, the 8th EAC Extraordinary Virtual Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers responsible for Health on Thursday, June 4, 2026, approved the establishment of a dedicated Regional Technical Taskforce to coordinate the response to the ongoing Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak.

The Ministers also instructed the EAC Secretariat, in collaboration with Partner States, to develop a comprehensive regional Ebola Virus Disease Contingency, Response and Recovery Plan.

These were among the key resolutions reached at the 8th Extraordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health, held virtually on June 1-2, in Tanzania.

The meeting was convened to review the evolving Ebola situation and provide strategic policy direction for a coordinated regional response.

A release from the East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, states that the meeting noted with concern the outbreak in DR Congo, underscoring the need for collective action to prevent further cross-border transmission within the region.

As of June 1, 2026, the DRC had reported 121 confirmed cases and 1,077 suspected cases of Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease, including 17 deaths among confirmed cases and 246 deaths among suspected cases. Uganda had reported 11 confirmed cases, with 1 death recorded. A total of 642 contacts had been identified, of whom 638 were under active follow-up, reflecting ongoing transmission risks and the need for strengthened cross-border coordination.

The ministers directed Partner States to implement surveillance and control measures in affected areas, at points of entry, and along porous borders in accordance with national regulations and the World Health Organisation's guidance.

Hon. Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, Deputy Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), chairing the meeting. (Courtesy)

The Ministers meeting in Arusha further instructed the EAC Secretariat, working closely with the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA) and other relevant agencies, to urgently convene a regional meeting to harmonise screening procedures, traveller health declaration requirements and other public health measures at points of entry. 

The Partner States were also tasked with initiating exit screening measures at designated points of entry in line with regional and international public health guidelines. 

Relatedly, the Secretariat was directed to mobilise resources to support enhanced screening, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, risk communication and community engagement activities, and community-based surveillance across the region.

In a major step towards strengthening regional coordination, the Ministers agreed to establish an EAC Regional Technical Taskforce on Ebola Response and other high-consequence diseases. 

The Taskforce will comprise experts nominated by Partner States and the EAC Secretariat and will be responsible for monitoring the outbreak, coordinating technical interventions, reviewing epidemiological trends and providing regular reports to Ministers and other EAC policy organs.

EAC Partner States were directed to nominate two technical experts from their Ministries of Health and one expert from their Ministries responsible for EAC Affairs to serve on the Taskforce. Ministers also emphasised the importance of real-time sharing of epidemiological information among Partner States to facilitate early detection of cases and support a coordinated regional response.

To strengthen disease surveillance and laboratory capacity, the Ministers directed Partner States to facilitate and sustain the deployment of EAC mobile laboratories and technical experts at strategic locations, including border points of entry and identified hotspots. The Ministers also directed the EAC Secretariat to mobilise additional financial and technical resources to support surveillance and response activities and to expedite the procurement and deployment of container laboratories across the region. 

The EAC mobile laboratories were provided to Partner States under the EAC Regional Network of Reference Laboratories Project supported with funds from the Government of Germany, through the German Development Bank KFW and with technical support from Bernhard Nochted Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Germany’s largest institution for research, teaching, consulting and care in the field of tropical diseases and emerging infectious diseases. 

So far, 10 EAC mobile laboratories have already been deployed in the region, including in the DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Tanzania, to support rapid testing and detection of suspected Ebola cases. 

The Ministers welcomed the procurement of Ebola testing kits and emphasised the need for continued investment in laboratory systems capable of rapidly detecting emerging and re-emerging disease threats.

Recognising the importance of a skilled workforce in outbreak response, the Ministers directed the EAC Secretariat to mobilise resources to train frontline healthcare workers across Partner States in Ebola prevention, preparedness, readiness, and response. 

They further instructed the Secretariat to facilitate refresher training programmes for members of the East African Community Pool of Rapidly Deployable Experts (RDE), with particular focus on infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement, risk assessment and outbreak management.

The Ministers welcomed the progress made under the EAC Pandemic Preparedness Project (PanPrep), supported by the Governments of Germany and the European Union, which has established a regional pool of more than 180 multidisciplinary experts operating under a One Health approach. 

The meeting agreed that the Secretariat should finalise a framework for collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to operationalise the RDE mechanism and facilitate rapid deployment of experts during health emergencies.

The Ministers commended the EAC Secretariat for its ongoing efforts to strengthen regional Ebola preparedness through the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) during training and deployment activities conducted in the DRC, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda since 2024, which have enhanced health worker safety and outbreak readiness. 

They further noted the planned procurement and immediate deployment of 500 additional PPE sets to the DRC and Uganda under the EAC Pandemic Preparedness Project.

To sustain and expand these efforts, the Ministers directed the EAC Secretariat to mobilise additional resources for the procurement and distribution of PPEs and other essential commodities required for Ebola preparedness and response activities across the region.

The meeting also underscored the importance of ensuring timely access to medical countermeasures. 

The Ministers welcomed ongoing efforts to establish a regional mechanism for accelerated registration and approval of Ebola vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

They noted that earlier this week (June 1-2)

Heads of National Medicines Regulatory Authorities had a meeting to discuss the joint regional vaccine approval framework in collaboration with the African Medicines Agency (AMA), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and national regulatory authorities.

The meeting further considered resource mobilisation efforts to support the Ebola response. Ministers welcomed a commitment by Germany’s Development Bank (KfW) to reallocate EUR 1 million to support the deployment of mobile laboratories, procurement of diagnostic supplies and training of laboratory personnel.

They also noted ongoing efforts by the EAC Secretariat and German development cooperation agency, GIZ, to mobilise additional funding in support of the Ebola response and to further strengthen pandemic preparedness in the region.

The minister listed some security challenges that hamper the implementation of critical public health interventions in some affected areas.

These include: risk communication, contact tracing, safe and dignified burials and management of travellers.

In their resolution, the Ministers agreed to convene a multisectoral meeting to address security concerns related to the Ebola response, including implications for regional trade and the free movement of persons under the EAC Common Market Protocol.