IGAD has pledged to work towards bridging the gap between early warning and early action for Member States through enhancing the development of requisite anticipatory interventions and disaster risk mitigation measures.
Dr Workhen Gobeyehu said IGAD will support all Member States with regular weather and climate information services through the Centre of Excellence (ICPAC).
“We pledge IGAD’s support to all our member states, with regular weather and climate information services through our Centre of Excellence (ICPAC), hosted here in the Republic of Kenya.” Said Dr Gobeyehu.
ICPAC Centre serves as an effective instrument for information sharing and utilisation among our member states.
He was speaking Wednesday morning during the launch of the Health Emergency, Preparedness, Response, and Resilience (HEPRR), a Multiphase Programmematic Approach (MPA) Programme in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region.
“IGAD is grateful to be part of this strategic partnership, as it clearly adds value to our Member States’ efforts in managing health emergencies and pandemics.” Said Dr Gobeyehu.
Adding that: “As we convene here today, the Republic of Kenya is recovering from catastrophic flooding that left over 289 people dead, with many livelihoods and property destroyed. We condole with the families and people of Kenya for this great loss. This disaster is a vivid reminder of the devastating impacts of climate change and its implications across many sectors, including health.”
He lauded the commitment and leadership of ministers and other policymakers from participating countries in Eastern and South Africa, for the Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) adopted by the program.
According to Dr Gobeyehu, the Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Resilience Programme is a testament to our collective determination to build on our experiences and lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and other outbreaks such as Cholera and Ebola, to strengthen the health systems to confront similar challenges.
“I must point out that this programme is an answer to the political Declaration adopted at the UN General Assembly in September 2023, committing all Member States to act on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (PPPR) and the need for international cooperation in this regard.”He noted.
