The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) through its Regional Pandemic Preparedness and Response (PREPARE) Project has provided indicative financial support of a tune of UGX 14.4B to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uganda in response to the Mpox/Ebola diseases through strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, workforce development and coordination mechanisms.
These resources are part of the committed USD 8.3 million allocated to support IGAD Member States that are heavily impacted and grappling with the effects of the Mpox diseases to reinforce Member States’ capacity to respond to the current outbreaks and those in the future.
The IGAD PREPARE team led by Mr Mubarak Mabuya, IGAD Chief of Staff and Interim Director of the Health and Social Development Division, representing Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, the Executive Secretary together with Dr. Fatuma Adan; the Lead of the IGAD PREPARE Project and IGAD Head of Mission to the Republic of Kenya met with Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng together with the Ministry’s top leadership at the Ministry of Health headquarters to highlight the key areas IGAD PREPARE Project would like to scale up emergency response support in alignment with the national gaps and identified targeted/priority areas such as surveillance, laboratory capacity, workforce development and joint resource mobilization channeled towards targeted government needs and priorities as they arise.
The IGAD PREPARE Project that is being funded by Pandemic Fund of the World Bank through WHO aims to in its initial stage to address the Mpox disease outbreak in Uganda with the aim of mitigating its spread and prevent mortality associated with the disease to protect IGAD citizens and world that are interconnected through cross-border movements, inter-country and international trade and travel. Due to the escalating cases of Ebola in Uganda, the Project will also take into consideration addressing the ongoing Ebola outbreak given its rapid transmission in Uganda and neighboring countries as a crucial measure to protect IGAD citizens and the global community.
The support is on the heels of the recent IGAD PREPARE Project Steering Committee that was held on 5th February 2025 where key recommendations were made to ensure balanced and efficient support to Member States will be channeled through the existing government systems to support the response, particularly the National Emergency Coordination Taskforces/Committees as well as coordinate closely with the Ministries of Health.
The IGAD PREPARE Project team in collaboration with the Ministry of Health held joint discussions with Project partners namely; The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Uganda Red Cross Society and World Health Organisation to finalize a Comprehensive Response Plan that will be aligned/re-aligned to or adjusted to Uganda’s pandemic response priorities and gaps as well as align to the Project’s objectives for timely disbursement of funds for the Health Ministry to effectively and efficiently respond in a timely manner to save lives through a robust emergency and preparedness response system.
Other discussions held on the sidelines were on the post Mpox/Ebola phase where the IGAD PREPARE team paid courtesy calls to the Permanent Secretaries of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Water, Environment, and the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities and discussions were about how the Ministries and other relevant actors/stakeholders can have coordinated, collaboration and concerted efforts towards having a harmonized approach and mechanism to strengthen regional laboratory/surveillance and workforce development capacity and cross-border collaboration for Pandemic Preparedness and Response in the context of One Health (human, animal and environment) for a healthier region.
