Health

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 11th August 2021: The East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki, has called for a coordinated approach among EAC Partner States in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hon. Mathuki called for the harmonization of COVID-19 testing charges and quarantine administrative procedures across the region. 

Dr. Mathuki further pushed for the strengthening of public-private sector cooperation for joint investment in the manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines. 

The Secretary General, however, noted that there was immense hope in the horizon with all Partner States having embarked on national vaccination drives, adding that more work needs to be done to increase vaccination levels in the region that currently stand at 2% vis-à-vis 70% in other parts of the world. 

Dr. Mathuki urged East Africans to turn out in their numbers for the jab saying that without vaccination, people will fear visiting the region and critical service sectors and especially tourism would continue to suffer. 

Dr. Mathuki said that the EAC would continue pushing for the adoption by Partner States of the EAC Pass, which integrates all EAC Partner States’ negative test results for COVID-19 and those already vaccinated to ensure safe and seamless travel across the region. 

The SG disclosed that the EAC Adhoc Regional Coordination Committee, which has since 2020 been supporting the EAC Partner States through interventions including supporting testing capacity, provision of laboratory supplies, test kits and personal protective equipment, policy guidance and training of key personnel, among other steps, would continue with its work until the pandemic was fully contained. 

The EAC Adhoc Regional Coordination Committee for COVID has been steering the regional response activities against the pandemic including coordination of policy organ meetings and mobilization of resources. 

Hon. (Dr.) Mathuki was speaking during the SG’s First 100 Days Forum that focused on the highlights, challenges and achievements since he assumed office on 27th April, 2021. The forum drew 267 participants including Permanent/Principal Secretaries from EAC Partner States’ Ministries of EAC Affairs, Development Partners, Members of the Diplomatic Community, Private Sector, Civil Society, Staff of EAC Organs and Institutions, and the Media. 

Dr. Mathuki disclosed that he had already held consultations with the members of the Summit of Heads of State to seek their views on how the Community should be run.  

“The Heads of State reiterated that the Community should be steered in the spirit of the EAC Treaty that puts emphasis on a people-centred, market driven and private sector led integration process. These, to accelerate regional growth, create wealth and reduce poverty in the region,” he said. 

“They further emphasised the need to take the EAC integration to the people at the grassroots, as they are the actual owners of the process,” said the Secretary General. 

On the Customs Union and Common Market pillars, Dr. Mathuki disclosed that the 38th Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers on Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (SCTIFI), which was held on 26th May, 2021, had adopted a four-band CET structure (0%, 10% and 25%). The SG said that it was anticipated that an agreement on a rate that is above 25% shall be concluded before the end of 2021. 

On increasing private sector participation in the integration process, Dr. Mathuki said that he had held consultative meetings with the business community in all EAC Partner States to grasp issues hampering the growth of the private sector in the region. 

“The issues include Non-Tariff Barriers, implementation of trade policies and adoption of a regional coordinated approach in handling Covid-19,” said the SG. 

Dr. Mathuki said that the Secretariat had further provided leadership in the formation of a Private Sector Technical Working Group (TWG) between the EAC and EABC, adding that the role of the TWG would be to promote private sector development in the region. 

“The TWG’s specific mandate is to provide a platform for receiving and addressing concerns raised by the business community. It is also tasked with developing a harmonized framework for a collective response by Partner States to COVID-19 in the region, among other things,” said Dr. Mathuki. 

The Secretary General hailed the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Burundi who recently launched their own Trade Information Portals (TIPs), which would map out all their imports, exports and transit procedures, fees and time. 

“It is anticipated that the TIPs will provide information for merchants seeking to do business across the region,” said the SG. 

Dr. Mathuki said that intra-EAC trade had increased significantly over the past three months and singled out the Namanga border post where he said trade between Kenya and Tanzania had risen six-fold. He said that intra-EAC trade currently stands at less than 15% as compared to 70% within the EU and gave an assurance that the Community would try to raise it over the next five years. 

On progress towards the full implementation of the EAC Roaming Framework, Dr. Mathuki reiterated the announcement by Tanzania that it was currently reviewing its legal framework and would be joining the One Network area (ONA) framework on 30th September, 2021.  

“The Republic of Burundi has given an assurance that it will implement the One Network Area by 30th June, 2022. Full implementation of the EAC One Network Area is expected to lower the cost of communication in the region and spur intra-regional trade through harmonization of roaming tariffs,” he said. 

On the East African Monetary Union, the third pillar of the integration, Dr. Mathuki disclosed that the East African Monetary Institute Act had taken effect on 1st July, 2021 and that the EAC Secretariat had invited interested Partner States to submit proposals or applications to host the EAMI.  

“Following this invitation, five EAC Partner States submitted their applications to host the Institute. In line with the EAC procedures, the Secretariat is now in the process of constituting a Verification Committee to verify the said applications, including the suitability of the location and facilities being offered to host the EAMI,” said the SG. 

On the EAC Political Confederation, which is the fourth and ultimate stage in the integration, National consultations for the EAC Political Confederation have so far been held for the Republics of Burundi and the Republic of Rwanda. Plans are at an advanced stage to hold similar consultations in the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of South Sudan. 

On recruitment to 49 vacant positions within the EAC that had been advertised earlier this year, Dr. Mathuki said that the Community had received more than 20,000 applications for the positions, noting that the deluge of applicants was a demonstration of the eagerness of East Africans to serve in the Community.  

The Secretary General said that the profiling and shortlisting of candidates had already been completed, adding that the Partner States through the Council of Ministers had already resolved outstanding issues that had been blocking the recruitment. 

Dr. Mathuki further said that the EAC Sectoral Council on Tourism and Wildlife Management had also met after a while and had already approved the EAC Regional COVID-19 Tourism Recovery Plan, which is set to help the tourism sector in the region recover from the impact of COVID-19. 

On the anticipated entry of the Democratic Republic of Congo into the EAC, Dr. Mathuki disclosed that the Verification Mission that was in Kinshasa from 25th June to 5th July, 2021 had since compiled its report which would be presented to the Council of Ministers as per EAC Procedures for admitting new members into the Community. 

“The entry of DRC will be a game-changer in as far as intra-regional trade in East Africa is concerned. In 2018, for instance, the value of imported goods into the DRC stood at $7.4 billion. From this, the value of EAC exports to the DRC stood at 855.4 million dollars only, which represents just 11.5 % of DRC imports,” he said. 

“In terms of market control, China has the largest share of the DRC market with imports from China having a share of 31.2 %; South Africa follows at 15.8% and Zambia takes third position at 13%,” said Dr. Mathuki, adding that the entry of DRC into the EAC would expand the bloc’s market to almost 300 million people, which would be highly competitive and attractive at a global level. 

On revitalization of relations with Development Partners, Dr. Mathuki disclosed that over the last 100 days, he had held consultative meetings with various development partners to explore areas of supporting the bloc’s programmes and projects, adding that development partners had reaffirmed their commitment to working with the EAC. 

On improving working relations between the EAC Organs and Institutions, Dr. Mathuki said that the EAC Organs and Institutions were now working harmoniously and were committed to performing their roles in line with their objectives as set out in the Treaty.  

On renewing relations with the Civil Society, the Secretary General said that he had already held discussions with the Chairman of the East African Civil Society Organizations’ Forum (EACSOF) on modalities to revive the EAC SG forum to ensure the active participation of the civil society in the integration. 

On his part, Director General of Customs and Trade at the EAC Secretariat, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda informed the meeting that one of the important objectives of the community is to reduce the cost of doing business in the region.  He disclosed that several milestones have been recorded in reducing cost of doing business in region inform of clearance time and documentation at the borders.

“The turnaround period has reduced tremendously from the ports to the inland and also inland to the ports in regard to export of goods. We have achieved about 70% reduction in terms of turnaround time”, added Director General.

For a full recording of the Secretary General's First 100 Days Online Forum, Media Briefing, and Documentary please visit www.eac.int/100days
 

For more information, please contact:

Simon Peter Owaka
Senior Public Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 768 552087
Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 10th January, 2022: East African Community Secretary General Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki, has called upon East Africans to turn out in large numbers as part of collective efforts to contain the spread of the deadly Covid-19 virus the region.  

Dr. Mathuki also encouraged those who have been vaccinated to go for booster shots to ensure continued protection against the virus. 

Dr. Mathuki said that resistance to vaccines was undermining efforts to jumpstart the regional economy after the damage caused by the virus. 

The Secretary General said the global trend was that vaccination certificates would soon be required for travellers and those seeking to participate in meetings and conferences. 

Dr. Mathuki hailed EAC Partner States for their on-going effort to integrate their systems with the EACPass, a digital system that would be used to track negative Covid-19 test results and vaccination certificates thereby easing cross-border travel and trade in the region. 

The SG who was making his New Year Address to Staff of EAC Organs and Institutions through a hybrid format, said that synergy among EAC Partner States and other stakeholders was the best way to contain the pandemic. 

“One of the most gigantic challenges of our time is how to manage our region with the current global pandemic. It is a daunting task to bring everyone on board in addressing Covid-19 related challenges, specifically to have a common understanding and appreciation of the risks, and to comply with preventive, containment and mitigation measures. I encourage that we pull together, notwithstanding that the situation is worsening with the emergence of the Omicron variant,” said the Dr. Mathuki. 

“We continue to operate under a challenging environment of Covid-19, which has and continues to affect every organisation and family. As a result of Covid-19, EAC as a region, has lost a number of leaders and citizens,” said the SG. 

Dr. Mathuki reminded EAC Staff of their obligation to assist Partner States overcome diverse socio-economic and political challenges that face the region by developing relevant policies, strategies, guidelines and systems to address the challenges. 

Dr. Mathuki hailed EAC Organs and Institutions for various achievements in 2021. He disclosed that the East African Legislative Assembly had held eight (8) sittings during which it passed several Bills among them, ‘The East African Community Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2020’ and ‘The East African Community Integrity and Anti-Corruption Bill, 2021.” 

He praised the East African Court of Justice for celebrating 20 years since its inauguration in 2001. 

“The Court held sessions for the first time in a Partner State outside the Headquarters in November, where both divisions conducted sessions in Bujumbura, Burundi. The Court completed its first mediation case involving parties from the Republic of South Sudan, an indicator of the expanding jurisdiction in the alternative dispute resolution mechanism of the Court,” said the SG. 

On the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, the SG said that the Commission had in collaboration with the Secretariat concluded negotiations with the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany leading to new financial cooperation projects totalling to 18.3 million Euros. 

“The Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization trained 85 women and youth from Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on improved dagaa value addition and packaging,” said Dr. Mathuki. 

On the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA), the Secretary General said that the agency had provided technical support to the Partner States to develop Model EAC (Civil Aviation) Regulations and Technical Guidance Materials. 

“CASSOA is also working on the finalisation of the Centre for Aviation Medicine in Nairobi, Kenya which will be the centre of excellence on matters of aeromedical standards,” said the Secretary General. 

He hailed the East African Competition Authority (EACA) for developing the EACA Outreach and Advocacy Strategy 2021/2022 – 2025/2026, which was approved by SCTIFI and adopted by the Council. 

The SG praised the East African Kiswahili Commission for the progress made so far in the adoption of Kiswahili and French as Official Languages of the Community as per the directive of the 21st Ordinary Meeting of the Summit of EAC Heads of State to the Council of Ministers. 

“A roadmap for implementing Kiswahili and French as Languages of the Community is being developed. We have already reached out to several development partners who have shown commitment to support these efforts in addition to the promises of our own Partner States,” said Dr. Mathuki. 

“The addition of the two official languages and English will open up more possibilities for the implementation of our regional integration agenda with more inclusivity.” 

Dr. Mathuki singled out holding the 3rd EAC Regional e-Health and Telemedicine Workshop, Ministerial Conference and Virtual Exhibition in Rubavu, Rwanda as one of the key achievements of the East African Science and Technology Commission in 2021. 

For the East African Health Research Commission, Dr. Mathuki disclosed that the Commission had developed a disease surveillance dashboard for the EAC Partner States and the world map health real-time through the EA web portal, adding that the dashboard provides Covid-19 status in real-time in the region.  

On the Inter-University Council of East Africa, the Secretary-General said that the Council’s biggest achievement was increasing the number of students enrolled under EAC-KFW Scholarship Programme such that there are now 117 EAC nationals pursuing fully funded Master’s degree studies in the fields of Mathematics, Engineering, Informatics, Science, Technology and Business Science outside their home countries within the EAC. 

Speaking at the event, the Judge President of the East African Court of Justice, Justice Nestor Kayobera, urged EAC Partner States governments as well as EAC Organs and Institutions to respect the rule of law by abiding with the provisions of the EAC Treaty.  

On his part, the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ngoga Martin, urged the Council of Ministers to move fast to resolve issues that have been hindering the progress of the Community. 

Also present at the function were the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of the Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, his Planning, Infrastructure, & Finance and Administration counterpart, Eng. Steven Mlote, the Director General-Customs and Trade, Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda, and the Heads of EAC Institutions. 

For more information, please contact:

Simon Peter Owaka
Senior Public Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 768 552087
Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, 10th March 2022: The East African Community Secretariat urges EAC Partner States to step up measures to prevent and respond to outbreaks of infectious diseases following heavy rains in parts of the EAC region. The recommendation follows reports of an outbreak of Yellow Fever in Kenya that has caused the death of at least three people and information on outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) among livestock in EAC Partner States received by the EAC Secretariat.

“The heavy rainfalls and high temperatures have resulted in high numbers of mosquitos which transmit vector-borne diseases,” says EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo. He has urged EAC Partner States to report such outbreaks to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as required and cautioned that the outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever might be followed by human cases if adequate measures are not taken in time. He also alled for EAC Partner States to step up disease surveillance, control, and vaccination against Yellow Fever among their citizens.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health reported on 5th March, 2022 that the government has activated its health emergency response mechanisms following the death of three persons attributed to an outbreak of Yellow Fever in Isiolo County, Eastern Kenya. According to the report, the first case was detected on January 12th this year. Subsequently, 15 patients presented with yellow fever symptoms that include headache, fever, jaundice, muscle and joint pains.

Yellow Fever epidemics can occur when infected people introduce the virus into heavily populated areas with high mosquito density and where most people have little or no immunity, due to a lack of vaccination. Mosquitoes can then transmit the virus from person to person. Patients who contract the virus develop severe symptoms and about 20% of those die within 7 to 10 days (although there are wide variations among countries). Yellow fever is prevented by an extremely effective vaccine, which is safe and affordable. Although there is no cure for Yellow Fever, a single dose of vaccine is sufficient to grant sustained immunity and life-long protection against the disease.

The EAC Secretariat recommends that people protect themselves and especially children against mosquito bites by using mosquito nets, applying insect repellents and avoiding outdoor activities at peak biting times of mosquitos and by eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites.

Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a disease that affects and kills humans and animals. It is caused by a virus spread by blood sucking mosquitoes and can be transmitted to those individuals who are in close contact with contaminated blood, such as veterinarians, butchers, or animal handlers. Although RVF often causes severe illness in animals, most people with RVF have either no symptoms or a mild illness with fever, weakness, back pain, and dizziness. However, a small percentage (8-10%) of people with RVF develop much more severe symptoms, including eye disease, hemorrhage (excessive bleeding), and encephalitis (swelling of the brain). RVF can also cause significant economic losses due to death and abortion among RVF-infected livestock.

People should practice hand hygiene, wear gloves and other appropriate individual protective equipment when handling sick animals or their tissues or when slaughtering animals. In case of an RVF outbreak, people should avoid consuming fresh blood, raw milk or animal tissue and products without thoroughly roasting them.

The EAC Secretariat further recommends that Partner States intensify risk communication activities with preventive messages that enable the public to manage the risks at hand. In addition, meteorology departments should continue to monitor and analyse the weather patterns and share information with other departments to plan and prepare for outbreaks of infectious diseases of public health concern.

For more information, please contact:

Simon Peter Owaka
Senior Public Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 768 552087
Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001: 2015 Certified

Samples taken from people suspected to have monkeypox in Kenya have been ferried to Senegal for testing and further Samples taken from people suspected to have