By Business Insider Reporter
The East African Community (EAC) has taken a decisive step to protect both public health and regional economic stability with the launch of its first-ever Regional Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR) Policy Framework – a coordinated blueprint aimed at strengthening collective action against future health shocks across the bloc’s eight Partner States.
Approved by the 25th EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health in May 2025, the Framework provides a harmonised roadmap for surveillance, preparedness and response, reflecting lessons drawn from recent public health emergencies including COVID-19, Ebola, Marburg, cholera and Mpox. Beyond health outcomes, the initiative is designed to shield regional economies from the severe disruptions witnessed during past pandemics, when trade, tourism, manufacturing and cross-border movement ground to a halt.
At its core, the Policy Framework embeds the One Health approach—recognising the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health. This widens responsibility beyond ministries of health to include agriculture, livestock, tourism, climate change and trade, sectors that are critical to East Africa’s growth agenda and highly vulnerable to health-related shocks.
Speaking at the launch, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Hon. Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, said the timing was critical as the region consolidates lessons from recent crises.
“Pandemic preparedness is not the responsibility of the health sector alone. It requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach,” she said, stressing that coordinated regional action reduces both health risks and economic costs.
For businesses and investors, the Framework signals a shift towards predictability and resilience. Coordinated surveillance systems, shared data platforms and cross-border response mechanisms are expected to minimise prolonged shutdowns, protect supply chains and safeguard labour markets during future outbreaks.
Malueth emphasised that regional cooperation is central to the Framework’s success. “Our strength lies in coordinated action, shared responsibility and regional solidarity. This framework provides a practical foundation to move from policy to implementation at national, sub-national and cross-border levels,” she noted.
The Policy Framework was developed in partnership with the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC). Its Deputy Executive Director, Dr Joseph Gichuru, described the Framework’s adoption as a milestone for regional integration.
“The adoption of the PPPR Policy Framework in May 2025 stands as a powerful endorsement of what we can achieve when we choose unity over isolation,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Kamene Kimenye, Acting Director General of Kenya’s National Public Health Institute, highlighted East Africa’s high vulnerability to both endemic and emerging diseases in an increasingly interconnected regional market.
“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in surveillance, diagnostics, supply chains and vaccine access,” she said. “This Policy Framework offers a comprehensive blueprint to strengthen resilience through cross-border coordination, digital innovation, sustainable financing and meaningful community engagement.”
From a business perspective, the Framework also opens opportunities. It promotes regulatory harmonisation, pooled procurement of medical supplies and vaccines, and regional pharmaceutical manufacturing – steps that could lower costs, attract investment and reduce dependence on external suppliers. The emphasis on digital health systems and early-warning mechanisms is expected to improve risk management for governments and the private sector alike.
By addressing long-standing challenges such as fragmented coordination, weak surveillance systems and limited resources—while embedding equity, gender responsiveness and community engagement—the EAC’s PPPR Policy Framework positions health security as a pillar of sustainable economic growth. As East Africa pursues deeper integration and industrialisation, the message from the bloc is clear: safeguarding public health is no longer just a social imperative, but a strategic economic priority.
