The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has launched the Preparedness for Pandemic Response (PREPARE) Project, a three-year regional initiative aimed at strengthening pandemic preparedness, response, and resilience across IGAD Member States.

Anchored in the One Health approach, PREPARE is designed as a multi-country, multi-sectoral program to address transboundary health threats that continue to challenge fragile health systems across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. With funding from the Pandemic Fund, the project is valued at US$31.9 million, with WHO serving as the implementing entity and fiduciary agent, IFRC as delivery partner, and IGAD as the regional coordinating body.

Speaking at the launch event in Kampala on Saturday, IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu emphasized that regional solidarity is essential to building health resilience:

“COVID-19 taught us that pandemics do not respect borders and that the cost of being unprepared is measured in lives lost, livelihoods destroyed, and economies disrupted. The PREPARE Project builds on those lessons, ensuring that, as a region, we are better equipped to detect threats early, respond collectively, and protect our people from future pandemics.”

4 Priority Areas of PREPARE

The initiative will focus on strengthening regional and cross-border health security through:

1. Cross-border surveillance and early warning – establishing integrated systems in border areas.

2. Laboratory capacity – enhancing diagnostics to rapidly detect and confirm epidemic-prone diseases.

3. Workforce development – building skilled regional One Health emergency responders with strong community engagement.

4. Coordination and advocacy – advancing inclusive coordination mechanisms and evidence-based advocacy for sustainable preparedness.

Support to Uganda: Mpox Response

In Uganda, PREPARE has already bolstered the national response to the Mpox outbreak, providing crucial laboratory supplies, logistics for sample referral, beds and beddings for isolation facilities, and IT equipment to improve reporting systems.

During the event, Dr. Workneh formally handed over pandemic preparedness equipment to Uganda’s Ministry of Health, valued at approximately USD 700,000. The support package included:

• Laboratory equipment and consumables for Mpox diagnosis

• Three (3) vehicles for coordination and sample referral

• Ten (10) motorcycles for sample referral, outreach, and contact tracing

• ICT equipment including desktops, laptops, and routers

• Mobile phones and communication equipment for data capture and coordination

Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Ruth Aceng, welcomed the support, noting the importance of continued investment in preparedness:

“The second phase of the PREPARE project implementation should prioritise four strategic intervention areas, complemented by a flexible contingency funding mechanism housed within the IGAD national office.”

International Partners’ Voices

The WHO Representative in Uganda, Dr. Kasonde Mwinga, stressed the importance of solidarity:

“By investing in resilient health systems, enhancing cross-border collaboration, and embracing the One Health approach, we are ensuring that countries across the IGAD region are better prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to future pandemics. No country is safe until all are safe.”

On behalf of IFRC, Charles Businge, Regional Director for Africa, highlighted the central role of community engagement:

“National Societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent are extremely proud to partner with national governments, IGAD, and WHO in this important programme investing in community, cross-border, national, and regional epidemic and pandemic preparedness. Funding from the Pandemic Fund has enabled us to expand response and prevention efforts for the mpox outbreak in the region. It will also leverage our unparalleled community outreach to scale up preparedness and strengthen systems for future epidemics, in close support of public authorities.”