Kenya has officially signed a framework agreement with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to host the Eastern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre (RCC) in Nairobi.
The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the World Health Summit Regional Meeting, solidifies Kenya’s position as a strategic hub for public health surveillance and emergency response within the region.
The Nairobi-based hub is designed to serve 14 Member States, providing a centralized platform for coordinating efforts against infectious diseases and other public health threats. By hosting the RCC, Kenya will play a leading role in harmonizing health protocols and ensuring a rapid, unified response to outbreaks across Eastern Africa.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who presided over the signing ceremony, emphasized that the center is a cornerstone of the region’s strategy to build resilient health systems.
“The establishment of this center in Nairobi is a testament to our commitment to regional health security,” Duale stated. “It will strengthen our collective capacity to prepare for and respond to emergencies, ensuring that our borders do not become barriers to effective disease control.”
The signing coincided with the inauguration of the High-Level African Health Leadership Ministerial Committee (AHLMC). Co-chaired by Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya, the committee is tasked with driving structural reforms to reduce Africa’s reliance on external health financing.
Key objectives discussed during the summit included:
- Local Manufacturing: Accelerating the production of vaccines and essential medicines within the continent.
- Regulatory Alignment: Advancing the operationalization of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) to streamline drug approvals.
- Sustainable Infrastructure: Investing in modern laboratory networks and data sharing technologies.
Dr. Jean Kaseya noted that the move signals a “new era of African ownership” over the continent’s health destiny. “We are moving away from reactive measures toward a sustainable, proactive health architecture led by Africans, for Africans,” he said.
For Kenya, hosting the regional hub aligns with its internal Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda. By integrating regional expertise with local health initiatives, the government aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenditures for citizens and improve access to specialized care.