Arusha, Tanzania. Rwanda’s East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member Fatuma Ndangiza has called for increased public awareness of specialised healthcare services available within the East African Community (EAC), noting that many East Africans continue to travel to India and Europe for medical treatment despite the availability of advanced cardiovascular services in Dar es Salaam.
She said public awareness campaigns were needed to inform citizens about the services offered by regional institutions and encourage greater use of local expertise and facilities.
Speaking during the debate on the General Purpose Committee’s report on the EAC regional centres of excellence, Ndangiza said the continued reliance on overseas treatment highlighted the need for stronger communication about the region’s growing capacity to provide specialised medical care.
She cited the cardiovascular services available in Tanzania, alongside the regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunisation and Health Supply Chain Management hosted by the University of Rwanda in Kigali, as examples of the progress made through EAC cooperation in health.
Ndangiza commended the General Purpose Committee, led by Dr Abdulla Makame, for its report and recognised the contribution of the Council members who participated in the oversight mission.
She observed that health had featured prominently in the Assembly’s deliberations, underlining its importance as a key area of cooperation in regional integration.
Referring to Article 18 of the EAC Treaty, she highlighted the importance of cooperation in health research, professional training and strengthening the relationship between education and healthcare delivery.
Ndangiza also praised the EAC’s achievements in establishing centres of excellence, advancing pooled procurement of medicines and health commodities, and developing regional health strategies and policies.
She said these initiatives demonstrated the progress made by the Community in improving health services, adding that the Council should communicate such achievements more effectively to the public.
### Calls for sustainable funding
Despite the progress, Ndangiza warned that heavy reliance on external donor funding could threaten the long-term sustainability of the regional centres.
She urged the Council to prioritise investment in the institutions, arguing that they were established as part of the EAC’s regional integration agenda and therefore required predictable financial support from the Community and its Partner States.
She called for the centres to be incorporated into national health policies and budgets, with external donor contributions complementing rather than replacing public funding.
Ndangiza also highlighted the need to complete outstanding infrastructure projects at both centres, urging the Council and the EAC Secretariat to mobilise resources to address the gaps.
### Urges stronger monitoring and evaluation
On accountability, she called for a regional monitoring and reporting framework to track the implementation and performance of EAC projects and programmes.
She said weak monitoring and evaluation made it difficult to measure achievements, identify challenges and take corrective action in a timely manner.
Ndangiza supported the committee’s report, thanking its members for their work and urging the Council to consider and implement its recommendations to strengthen regional healthcare cooperation.
The committee’s report examined the East African Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunisation and Health Supply Chain Management in Kigali, Rwanda, and the EAC Centre of Excellence for Cardiovascular Sciences at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The report called for sustainable financing, stronger regional cooperation and improved monitoring to ensure the centres continue to support specialist training, medical research and access to advanced healthcare across East Africa.
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