OVER 95bn/- will be invested in a project for undertaking vaccination programmes in East Africa as well as supporting students from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and South-Sudan on various scholarship programmes.
On Monday, the East African Community
(EAC) and the Federal Republic of Germany signed an agreement for
supporting health and education sectors in the region to the tune of EUR
35 million, translating into more than 95bn/-.
In appreciation and acknowledgement of
the EAC’s efforts to immunize every child, Germany has been supporting
the immunisation programme in the region in close collaboration with the
EAC and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, since 2013.
The region has made great progress in
introducing new, life-saving vaccines. But according to a statement from
the EAC Secretariat here, challenges remain in reaching out to children
in remote areas, achieving high coverage rates for newly introduced
vaccines and acceptable coverage rates in the new EAC partner state
South Sudan.
Germany is thus contributing EUR 30
million to immunization programmes in the EAC. The project is
successfully being implemented by Gavi, the vaccine alliance, in close
collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health
Organisation (WHO) and the partner states’ immunisation programmes.
Germany’s total contribution to the EAC
immunisation programmes thus amounts to a total of EUR 120 million.
Germany will also contribute EURO 5 million to the EAC for a scholarship
programme in cooperation with the Inter-University Council for East
Africa (IUCEA).
The goal of this programme is to promote
EAC’s regional integration agenda by supporting higher education
students and their role in fostering awareness for the East African
integration process, creating social change as well as economic growth.
The scholarship programme is designed as
a regional approach supporting East African students with academic
talent and leadership qualities. Beyond the provision of scholarships,
the EAC scholars will be actively promoted through programme activities
such as regional leadership seminars and mentoring schemes.
After graduation, beneficiaries of the
EAC Scholarship Programmewill become highly-skilled ‘change agents’ for
their home communities as qualified professionals with a strong
understanding of regional challenges, approaches and expertise in their
respective subject fields.
“The new commitments underline that
Germany continues to be a strong partner for the EAC in pushing the
integration process forward. Education and health are core pillars of
sustainable economic development and we are glad to be able to
contribute to that in this regional context, “ said Dr Detlef Wächter,
German Ambassador to the EAC.
For almost two decades, Germany has been
supporting the EAC through financial as well as technical cooperation.
Germany’s contribution to the EAC amounts to a total of almost EUR 285
million.
In his remarks, the EAC Secretary
General, Ambassador Liberat Mfumukeko, noted that the EAC and the
Federal Republic of Germany have been cooperating in different areas
with notable achievements being realised.
“These include health and pharmaceutical
sectors; trade and customs; promotion of gender and education; monetary
harmonisation, institutional capacity strengthening and support to the
EAC Partnership Fund;” said Mfumukeko.
The secretary general thanked Germany
for her generous support to the EAC, adding that the collaboration
between the two parties continues to grow and become stronger.
Witnessing the signing was the First
Secretary and Head of Regional Cooperation (EAC) at the German Embassy
in Dar es Salaam, Ms Norzin Grigoleit-Dagyab, the EAC Deputy Secretary
General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Mr Christophe
Bazivamo, the DSG-Planning and Infrastructure, Eng Steven Mlote and Dr
Anthony Kafumbe, the Counsel to the Community.
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