As East Africa navigates the first quarter of 2026, the region’s health landscape is defined by a paradox: significant strides in regional coordination and capacity-building are unfolding against a backdrop of persistent disease outbreaks and systemic vulnerabilities. From the ongoing battle against mpox to groundbreaking initiatives in local vaccine manufacturing and health workforce development, March 2026 has emerged as a pivotal month for public health across the eight-member East African Community (EAC).
Mpox: Uneven Progress and Persistent Threats
The mpox outbreak, first declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in 2024, remains the region’s most pressing infectious disease challenge. According to a comprehensive review published in February 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to bear the heaviest burden, recording 28,165 cases and 69 deaths as of July 2025 . Uganda follows with 7,648 cases and 48 deaths, while Burundi has reported 4,231 cases with only one fatality .
The epidemiological picture across the region reveals striking disparities. Kenya, with 281 confirmed cases, has recorded a case fatality rate of 1.78 percent—significantly higher than Uganda’s 0.63 percent and the DRC’s 0.25 percent . Rwanda, Tanzania, and South Sudan have reported 124, 111, and 17 cases respectively, with no associated deaths. Somalia remains the only EAC country yet to report a confirmed mpox case, though experts caution this may reflect limited surveillance capacity rather than true absence of the virus .
A modeling study published in early 2026 provides sobering insights into what it will take to control the outbreak. Researchers estimated the basic reproduction number (R₀)—the average number of secondary infections generated by a single infected person—across five EAC countries. Uganda recorded the highest R₀, indicating that the virus can spread rapidly if controls weaken. Rwanda showed the lowest R₀, consistent with its swift implementation of contact tracing, isolation, and vaccination campaigns .
The study’s most critical finding concerns vaccination thresholds. In high-transmission settings like Uganda, vaccination coverage may need to exceed 80 percent—even with imperfect vaccine efficacy—to reliably stop outbreaks. In countries with more moderate transmission, lower coverage could suffice, but the margin for error remains narrow. The authors emphasize that short-term vaccination campaigns or low coverage offer only temporary relief and are unlikely to prevent future resurgences .
Vaccination efforts have been uneven across the region. Of the 801,000 Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccine doses administered across Africa, over 73 percent were delivered in the DRC . Overall vaccine acceptance in the DRC stands at 61.0 percent, with higher willingness reported among healthcare workers and individuals from endemic regions . Rwanda has successfully deployed its limited doses to keep transmission low, while Uganda and Kenya face more constrained supplies relative to their outbreak sizes.
The response has been complicated by persistent challenges. Inadequate healthcare infrastructure, particularly in rural areas of the DRC and South Sudan, hampers case detection and isolation. Misinformation and stigma surrounding the virus have also affected control measures, underscoring the need for sustained public awareness campaigns alongside vaccination efforts .
Building Regional Health Security Infrastructure
March 2026 has witnessed significant momentum in strengthening the region’s health security architecture. On March 4, the EAC highlighted the contribution of its Rapidly Deployable Experts (RDE) Pool—a growing network of trained professionals across epidemiology, laboratory science, infection prevention and control, and risk communication . The RDE Pool represents a concrete response to the reality that disease outbreaks do not respect national borders, and a skilled, mobile workforce is essential for timely containment.
Earlier in the year, the EAC launched its inaugural Regional Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR) Policy Framework. Adopted on January 22, 2026, the framework provides a coordinated instrument for collective action across the eight Partner States . Complementing this policy development, the EAC secured 12 million euros in May 2025 for Phase III of the Regional Network of Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases Project. This three-year initiative, running through July 2028 with support from the German government through KfW, aims to strengthen laboratory capacities across the region .
At the Eastern Africa Regional Global Health Security Summit 2026, convened in late February, health leaders from across the region explored how to move from fragmented national systems toward coordinated, Africa-led health security. Discussions focused on three interconnected priorities: regional collaboration, local manufacturing of health commodities, and sustainable financing . The summit reflected an increasingly common message: health security is not just about emergency response; it requires strong, long-term systems, economic resilience, and regional sovereignty.
Local Manufacturing: From Ambition to Action
The push for local manufacturing of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics has gained tangible momentum. On February 25-26, Africa CDC launched the Regional Capability and Capacity Network (RCCN) East Africa Secretariat in Kigali, hosted by Rwanda through Syllabi under the Ministry of Education. The Secretariat serves five countries—Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia—and focuses on harmonized capacity building, policy coordination, and regional collaboration to advance biomanufacturing .
Delivering the keynote address, Rwanda’s Minister of State for Education Claudette Irere underscored the foundational role of education: “At the centre of this transformation is education and skills development. If we are serious about advancing vaccine manufacturing and health security, our academic and training systems must evolve” . The RCCN will prioritize aligning academic programs with industry and regulatory needs, harmonizing competencies across the region, and strengthening coordination among universities, manufacturers, and policymakers.
Kenya has emerged as a leader in this space. The Kenya National Local Health Products Manufacturing Strategy, developed with support from PATH and other partners, sets a measurable goal: meeting 50 percent of Kenya’s health product needs through domestic production by 2026, while positioning the country as a regional manufacturing hub . The strategy builds on a capacity landscape assessment that documented existing manufacturing capabilities and identified gaps. Kenya BioVax Institute’s vaccine manufacturing initiative featured prominently at the regional health security summit, demonstrating how country-led efforts can shape regional agendas .
Health Financing and the Economics of Women’s Health
On March 4, the 2026 Africa Press Day convened in Nairobi, bringing together health experts, policymakers, and financial institutions including Afreximbank to discuss a critical question: how can African countries transform health from a cost center into an economic driver?
Jacqueline Wambua, General Manager for East Africa at Roche Kenya, framed the challenge starkly: “By 2024, Africa had become home to one in every four people on the planet and hosts the world’s largest working-age population. This demographic strength is emerging at a time of shrinking development aid and shifting health financing models, requiring Africa to increasingly rely on its own resources, data and partnerships” .
The forum focused particularly on cancers affecting women, with participants highlighting that cervical and breast cancers remain the leading causes of cancer deaths among African women despite various ongoing interventions . Economic analyses presented at the forum showed that every US dollar invested in innovative cancer care can yield up to US$12.40 in economic returns, largely through restored productivity and longer, healthier working lives .
Dorothy Nyong’o, Managing Trustee of the Africa Cancer Foundation and First Lady of Kisumu County, delivered a powerful call to action: “When a woman dies of cancer, children lose a caregiver, communities suffer, and economies are affected. It is time for systems, policies and data to work together. We have no time to lose” .
Looking Ahead: Climate and Health Intersections
As the region enters the March-May 2026 rainy season, the ICPAC Climate Prediction and Applications Centre has issued health advisories warning of increased risks. With near-normal to above-normal rainfall forecast, countries must balance expected improvements in food security against heightened risks of malaria transmission, waterborne disease outbreaks (cholera, typhoid, diarrhea), and flooding impacts on health infrastructure .
The intersection of climate and health adds another layer of complexity to regional health security efforts. Health systems already strained by infectious disease outbreaks must also contend with seasonal surges in climate-sensitive diseases, requiring integrated planning and resource allocation.
Conclusion
East Africa’s health landscape in March 2026 is one of transition—from reactive crisis management toward proactive, coordinated, and increasingly self-reliant systems. The mpox outbreak has exposed persistent gaps in surveillance, healthcare infrastructure, and vaccine equity, but it has also galvanized regional cooperation and demonstrated the value of rapid response mechanisms like the RDE Pool .
The progress on local manufacturing, from Kenya’s strategy to Rwanda’s RCCN Secretariat, reflects a region determined to reduce its vulnerability to global supply shocks . The conversations on health financing, particularly around women’s health, signal a growing recognition that health is not merely a social expenditure but a foundational investment in economic productivity .
The challenges remain formidable. Uneven vaccine access, inadequate infrastructure in conflict-affected areas, and the complex interplay of climate and disease will test the region’s resolve. Yet the direction is clear: East Africa is moving from fragmented national systems toward an integrated, Africa-led health security architecture—one built on regional collaboration, local capacity, and the understanding that health is indeed wealth.
