Overview
East African countries continue to face health challenges including large numbers of maternal and child deaths and the adverse effects of infectious diseases. Each country faces challenges within their health system that hinder governments’ capacity to meet the needs of its most vulnerable people. African leaders and health experts recognize the necessity of regional approaches in controlling communicable diseases, harmonizing policies and standards, and sharing best practices that are proven to address common health risks that transcend borders.
USAID helps strengthen the ability of regional institutions and health policies and systems for marginalized and cross-border populations in the region.
Combatting infectious disease threats
USAID supports regional training and strengthening efforts that improve the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB), particularly multi-drug resistant and extensively-drug resistant TB. These efforts focus on controlling pediatric TB infections, improving planning and referrals between countries, and enhancing supply chain management and laboratory capacity.
USAID supports the polio eradication initiative in the Horn of Africa. Newly established cross-border learning sites in Kenya and Somalia are instrumental in reaching and tracking mobile and hard-to-reach populations, allowing for effective, more targeted polio vaccination campaigns.
Emerging pandemic threats and the Global Health Security Agenda
As witnessed during the West African Ebola outbreak, emerging pandemics threaten development and security throughout the world. USAID works with government ministries and key partners across East, Central, and West Africa to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to emerging infectious diseases as part of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). Activities include the identification and surveillance of infectious diseases originating in wildlife and livestock that could potentially spill over to humans.
Preventing maternal and child deaths
USAID and the East African Community (EAC) Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) combine family planning and reproductive health services with conservation and natural resource management to improve both human and environmental health. Activities are helping communities in highly biodiverse areas access information and resources that allow them to make healthy decisions about the number, timing and spacing of their children; while considering the preservation of critical natural resources they will need to sustain their families. By expanding the use of this integrated approach, USAID is helping prevent maternal and child deaths.
Controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic
USAID provides integrated health services for HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health, tuberculosis, maternal, newborn and child health, and nutrition in six land and water border sites along the Kenya/Tanzania, Kenya/Uganda and Uganda/Rwanda borders through the Cross-Border Health Integrated Partnership Project (CB-HIPP). Activities are currently focused on improving the ability of health workers to respond to the unique needs of cross-border populations vulnerable to health risks.
Knowledge management
USAID acts as a convener to bring together experts, decision makers and civil society organizations to drive policies, promote best practices and discover development solutions so they can be used effectively to address unique health challenges in the region. Knowledge management activities help partners to better understand how knowledge can be captured, developed, shared and used.
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