Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, 19 August 2026 – Health Ministers from Eastern Africa have agreed to strengthen the regional health security, accelerate immunisation, improve maternal and child health roadmap, strengthen outbreak preparedness and response, and mobilise sustainable health financing.
The commitments were adopted at the close of the 4th Eastern Africa Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (ReSCO), convened by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in collaboration with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania.
The meeting concluded with Tanzania announcing a donation of health commodities valued at TZS 220 million, to support the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“The real measure of this meeting will be the changes we are able to make when we go back home,” said Dr Raji Tajudeen, Acting Deputy Director General of Africa CDC, delivering closing remarks on behalf of H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC. “Let us turn our commitments into action and our action into measurable impact.”
Member States endorsed key priorities adopted during the 8th Regional Technical Advisory Committee meeting and further refined by ministers in Dar es Salaam. These include the African Union Champion’s roadmap on maternal, newborn and child health; implementation of the Continental Immunisation Strategy in Eastern Africa; stronger pandemic preparedness and response; climate-resilient health systems; sustainable financing; and coordinated cross-border action.
Maternal, newborn and child health featured prominently, building on the leadership of H.E. Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and African Union Champion for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
Member States backed the roadmap’s ambition towards the “Three Zeros”: zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths, zero unvaccinated children and zero communities left behind.
Ministers also endorsed the Eastern Africa Regional Roadmap for operationalise the Continental Immunisation Strategy (CIS), including a regional scorecard to strengthen accountability. The ministers called for greater domestic financing for immunisation and vaccine security, investment in regional manufacturing and procurement, and stronger integration of immunisation into primary health care.
“Our people are waiting for delivery,” said Hon. Mohammed Omar Mchengerwa, Minister of Health of the United Republic of Tanzania. “Let this ReSCO mark the point at which we stopped measuring success by the quality of our deliberations and began measuring it by the quality, speed, and reach of delivery.”
Stronger regional preparedness
Recent Ebola responses and preparedness efforts in the DRC, Uganda, Sudan and South Sudan informed discussions on how the region can detect outbreaks earlier and respond faster.
Ministers supported stronger cross-border surveillance, laboratory and diagnostic capacity, rapid response teams, information sharing and community engagement. They reaffirmed the 7-1-7 approach, which aims to detect outbreaks within seven days, notify public health authorities within one day and begin an effective response within seven days.
The meeting also reinforced the principle of one leadership, one plan, one budget and one monitoring and evaluation framework, partners urge to align the support behind national and regional priorities.
Member States advanced plans for the Africa CDC Eastern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre to establish a Partnership and Investment Platform to strengthen resource mobilisation and coordinate investment around agreed regional health priorities.
Tanzania support DRC Ebola response
Tanzania’s donation to the DRC provided an immediate support demonstrating the regional solidarity discussed throughout the meeting.
The health commodities will be delivered through the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Tanzania, with the Government of Tanzania facilitating their rapid transfer in line with priorities of the national Ebola response.
“Solidarity is what we send, what we share and what we do,” said Hon. Mchengerwa.
As ReSCO concluded, Member States agreed that the next phase will focus on implementation, translating regional commitments into national plans, budgets, clear responsibilities and measurable milestones.
The Eastern Africa Regional Ministerial Steering Committee is the region’s highest governance platform for advancing the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty Agenda and strengthening coordinated health security action across Member States.
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