Kenya to Host Regional Drug Research Hub as EAC Expands Labs

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 commun icable 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 over 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 an additional six container mobile lab units and 18 sequencing units under phase II. Similarly, Phase III of the project will cover four components, namely: Operationalisation of an EAC Regional Centre of Excellence for Virology at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI); fostering relations and cooperation between human and animal health sectors through upgrading t he existing EAC mobile laboratory network to One Health mobile labs; and facilitating joint conferences between human and animal health laboratories. In addition, the project will focus on strengthening genomic surveillance capacities at national and regional levels, and integrating the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into the established EAC mobile laboratory network. It will also procure eight mobile laboratories units for animal health to strengthen pandemic prevention and control through the One Health approach. Speaking during the launch of the project at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, 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. She reaffirmed EAC's commitment to regional health security, joint policy development, and coordinated emergency response. In her remark s at the launch, the EAC Secretary General, Veronica Nduva, highlighted the project's success in strengthening the region's capability to accurately and rapidly identify known and novel pathogens. The deployment of mobile laboratories at outbreak hotspots reduces the time from sample collection to result release, providing timely test results that guide physicians and aid in the surveillance of emerging diseases. Julia Kronberg, Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy to the United Republic of Tanzania, expressed Germany's support for the EAC's efforts in strengthening regional health security. She noted that the launch of Phase III of the EAC mobile labs project marks another milestone in a long-standing cooperation, enhancing pandemic preparedness and response capacities across the region. The EAC Secretariat plans to broaden its support to Partner States by strengthening subnational laboratory capacities and enhancing regulatory preparedness. These efforts are supported by developments in global health , including the recent consensus on a global Pandemic Agreement.