KAMPALA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The ministers of health and East African Community (EAC) have directed the six partner states to mobilize emergency funds to contain spread of COVID-19, a top official said here Thursday.
Julius Wandera Maganda, Uganda's state minister for East African Community Affairs, told here reporters here that ministers urged partner states to provide additional contingency and emergency funds to address gaps in prevention, impact mitigation and other interventions to mitigate impact of COVID-19.
"We [ministers] further urged EAC secretariat and each partner state to mobilize resources and invest in public health systems to ensure resilience and health security to prevent further spread in the region," said Wandera.
The ministers from Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and South Sudan on Wednesday held a video conference to share existing information on COVID-19 outbreak, deliberate and map up containment strategies to stem out any further spread and develop a clear plan to mitigate against the impact caused by the pandemic in the region.
As of March 24, the region reported a total of 91 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with Uganda registering 14, Kenya 25, Rwanda 40, and Tanzania, 12. There no confirmed cases in South Sudan and Burundi.
The ministers directed respective partner states embassies and High Commissions to coordinate their citizens who may have been affected by the closure of borders and enable move to their final destination in the EAC region.
Uganda has instituted a series of stringent measures aimed at containing the spread of the disease including the closure of its borders to incoming or outgoing international travelers, suspension of public transport and banned crowding in markets.
