EAC health ministers meet over Covid-19

Arusha. Health ministers from the East African Community (EAC) were expected to meet here today March 24, to lay down joint strategies on how to contain coronavirus.

The extra-ordinary meeting via video conference will seek further ways to prevent further spread of the

The deadly disease has already been reported in four of the six countries in the bloc, namely Tanzania (12), Uganda (9), Kenya (15) and Rwanda (36).

Until Tuesday morning there were no cases reported in South Sudan and Burundi.

The containment strategies already put in place by the countries affected include closure of schools, colleges and other training institutions as well as borders and air space for incoming people.

The measures do not spare the returning residents and other travellers from high risk countries who would be quarantined upon arrival.

Nearly all countries bordering the region, from Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan in the Horn of Africa to the DR Congo, Zambia, Mozambique and other countries in southern Africa have reported Covid - 19 cases.

A statement issued by the EAC said the secretariat was in the process of deploying mobile laboratories and Covid-19 test kits to all the Community member states.

 Each partner state will receive a four wheel drive vehicle fitted with laboratory and ICT equipment, as well as all the necessary consumables for a fully functional laboratory with the capacity to conduct tests for Ebola and the Covid-19 in addition to other pathogens.

The EAC Secretariat has also put in place a Regional Coordination Committee (RCC) with Risk Communication and community engagement; Policy and Guidelines; Finance and Logistics; and Data and Statistics Sub-committees to oversee the regional Covid-19 response.

 The RCC has already set in motion a number of activities to secure the EAC Organs and Institutions, and support the Partner States in battling the virus.