Arusha: Kenya is set to become home to the East Africa Regional Centre of Excellence in Bioequivalence Studies and Pharmaceutical Research (EAC RCOEBPR), the first of its kind in the East African Community (EAC) and COMESA regions. Approved during the 25th Ordinary Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health, the Centre, which will be dedicated to the synthesis of pharmaceutical raw materials and bioequivalence testing for generic medicines, will be hosted at the University of Nairobi.
According to Nam News Network, Kenya’s Public Health Principal Secretary, Mary Muthoni, noted that the Centre aims to bridge critical gaps in the pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain and strengthen healthcare delivery across the region. The project will also contribute to the rapid containment of disease outbreaks and a reduced burden of infectious diseases with epidemic or pandemic potential in the region.
The EAC Secretariat has been implementing the EAC regional network of reference laboratories for communicable diseases project since 2017. The goal is to strengthen laboratory capacities for rapid detection of disease outbreaks in the region. To date, the project has facilitated responses to more than 53 disease outbreaks including: Ebola, Marburg, Rift Valley fever, Dengue, Measles/Rubella, Covid-19, and Enteric Pathogens, among other outbreaks.
Phase I of the project covered strengthening rapid detection of infectious diseases such as Ebola and Marburg viruses by establishing a regional network of mobile labs. Phase II focused on strengthening laboratory surveillance of anti-microbial resistance (AMR) in the region. EAC is now procuring additional container mobile lab units and sequencing units under phase II.
Phase III of the project will cover components such as operationalisation of an EAC Regional Centre of Excellence for Virology at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), fostering cooperation between human and animal health sectors, and strengthening genomic surveillance capacities. The integration of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into the established EAC mobile laboratory network and procurement of mobile laboratories units for animal health to strengthen pandemic prevention and control through the One Health approach is also planned.
During the project launch at the EAC Headquarters, the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for EAC Affairs, Beatrice Askul Moe, emphasized the need for rapid and accurate laboratory detection of outbreaks covering human, animal, and environmental factors under the One Health Approach for effective prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases.
The Chairperson reaffirmed EAC’s commitment to regional health security, joint policy development, and coordinated emergency response. EAC Secretary General, Veronica Nduva, highlighted the project’s success in strengthening the region’s capability to identify pathogens rapidly and accurately, aiding in easing movement and boosting trade.
Julia Kronberg, Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy to Tanzania, reiterated Germany’s support for regional health security in East Africa, emphasizing the importance of multilateralism and strategic partnerships in advancing public health. The EAC Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC (PanPrep) Project, supported by the German Government through GIZ, has built critical capacities in risk and crisis communication, hygiene, and rapid response to disease outbreaks.
The EAC Secretariat plans to further support Partner States by strengthening subnational laboratory capacities and enhancing regulatory preparedness, supported by global health developments such as the recent consensus on a global Pandemic Agreement.