EAC Regional Health Sector Strategic Plan 2015-2020

This East African Community Regional Health Sector Strategic Plan (2015-2020) articulates the East Africa Community’s (EAC’s) current strategic program direction in response to health challenges facing the Region. It provides an outlook of potential health risks and benefits that are likely to increase as a result of increased integration and free movement of people, trade, industry, livestock, medicines and food in the region. It identifies epidemiological trends from both communicable and non-communicable diseases for the foreseeable future. The analysis provided by the strategic plan finds there has been increased cross-border movement of people, animals, foods and medicines, as well as encroachment into wildlife habitat in EAC region. This has been caused by increased integration, relaxation of rules governing movement of people and trade, improvement of roads, flow of traffic, population growth, and expansion of farming and industry into new areas. The analysis shows that, this trend is on the increase due to on-going deepening of integration of the Partner States. The trend has outpaced pre-existing capacities and mechanism for cross-border surveillance and control of health. Chapter 3 details the prevailing regional circumstances that provide the rationale for the Plan and for the EAC to prioritize health. In addition this section captures the challenges that the Health sector faces.

The strategic plan elaborates EAC’s strategy to respond to identified health situation in the region, with special emphasis on cross-border health challenges. The strategy is guided by EAC’s mandate and functions as provided by the EAC Treaty. This Strategic Plan identifies eleven objectives as strategic entry-points to address identified health challenges.

The strategic plan recognizes that strategic partnerships and multi-sectoral collaboration, namely the One Health approach, will be needed to achieve its objectives. The partnerships include implementation of the Strategic Plan’s objectives principally through Partner State Governments, and their national stakeholders, EAC organs and institutions, autonomous commissions, civil society organizations (CSO), research and academic institutions, multi-lateral organizations and development partners, the private sector and other Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

The strategic plan will be implemented through mainstreaming into the approved structures of the EAC. Within the EAC secretariat, the strategic plan will be implemented through inter-sectoral collaboration under the overall direction of the Secretary General of the East African Community. The health department of the EAC Secretariat will be responsible for the day to day management and coordination of implementation of the strategic plan.

An assessment of Implementation capacity of the EAC Secretariat to identify areas that need capacity strengthening will be required for regional and national partners and also the EAC Secretariat. Management of the funds will follow the existing EAC Financial Rules and Regulations. Chapter 6 on monitoring and evaluation highlights annual planning, quarterly monitoring and annual reporting. The reports will be submitted to EAC Policy organs for approval and then shared with contributing partners and stakeholders. Indicators for monitoring the strategic plan’s objectives and outputs have been developed and an overall cost

Budget of US$ 465,593,522.90 over a period of 5 years (2015-2020) has been estimated.