Health structures in the EAC and how the link with the African

Union Commission

DR. Michael J. KatendePrincipal HIV and AIDS Officer

East African Community SecretariatArusha, Tanzania

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Background The Regional Economic Communities (RECs) are the pillars of the African Union (AU), and have been recognized by the AU as the key vehicles for economic integration and cooperation in Africa.

2001 African Heads of State created the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), integrated development framework to enhance growth and reduce poverty in Africa by addressing key political, economic and social priorities in a coherent and balanced manner ca

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Background

Adopted as the continent's premier development framework at a July 2001 summit

meeting of African Heads of State and Government

In 2002, the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) held in Durban, South Africa declared the creation of the AU, decided that NEPAD would be implemented within the AU through the RECs

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Background

Adopted by the AU Conference of African Ministers of Health (CAMH) in 2003, Inter alia, recommendations on a proposal to establish Health and Social Affairs Desks within the RECsThe 2003 Maputo Session of the Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government duly endorsed the Report of the Ministers and their recommendations

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Purpose of health Desks in REC

i. harmonization of the health policies of member states within the REC;

ii. improved co-ordination of health promotion activities;

iii. better resource mobilization and utilization; and iv. better co-operation between the AU, RECs,

Health Ministries of Member Sates, UN Agencies, NGOs and Civil Society Organizations on health issues.

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Guiding principles the social (or health) issue tackled that are transboundary in nature or require inter-country cooperation;Facilitate the implementation of, or commitment to, international conventions and other regional and international instruments on health or social welfare and development;promote the formulation of an African regional or sub-regional consensus at international forums;facilitate inter-country exchange, and promote learning from best practices in the region or sub-region, through physical meetings or compiling best practice models, guidelines and standards;

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Guiding principlesfacilitate action by, and promote linkages or networking among, centers of excellence, including social (or health) development institutions, professionals and practitioners in the region or sub-region;

support the building of capacity for compiling evidence, regional indicators and trends;

REC, in undertaking interventions, should not duplicate (but should rather add value to) work already being done by other regional or sub-regional inter-governmental bodies or institutions

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• Health Strategy of NEPAD is to substantially reduce the burden of disease, with specific targets that are consistent with those of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and aimed at halting and beginning to reverse the spread of disease by 2015

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Units in the health department

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SUMMIT OF EAC HEADS OF STATE

EAC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

EAC MULTISECTORAL TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON HIV AND AIDS (NACCs + National Ministries +

Institutions, etc)

EAC SECRETARIAT(EAC HIV AND AIDS UNIT)

EAC PARTNER STATES’ NATIONAL HIV AND AIDS FOCAL POINTS(NATIONAL AIDS COMMISSIONS/COUNCILS)

The EAC Joint Steering Committee on HIV and AIDS (the JSC)

EAC ANNUAL STAKEHOLDERS FORUM ON HIV AND AIDS

LVFO Council of Ministers + EAC Sectoral Council of Edu, Sci, Culture and Sports (IUCEA ) + EAC Sectoral Council on LVBC

EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health

LVFO Secretariat + LVBC Secretariat + IUCEA Secretariat – Report to EAC SG

EAC Regional Governance Structure for HIV and AIDS

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linkages

• Structures may exist but the linkage between AUC and EAC is weak and sporadic, not well defined may be regularized but at a much higher level of the Secretary General.

• Linkage is through NEPAD Agency e.g– EAC Medicine Regulatory Harmonization project– East African Public Health Networking Project

• Linkage through NEPAD is mainly project or programme based, depending on the existing funding and area of interest of the funding agency

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Linkage with Partners

• Partners Forum• engage Individual with the partners on

thematic areas• Task force – transport corridors and the Cross

border initiatives

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