Overview

The Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPRR) Project for Eastern and Southern Africa is implemented under the Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) supported by the World Bank. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of countries and regional institutions to prepare for, detect, and respond to health emergencies and public health threats.

The program enhances regional health security by strengthening coordination, improving surveillance systems, building resilient health systems, and facilitating cross-border collaboration among countries in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Goal

Contribute to improved regional health security and resilience by strengthening national and regional capacities to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Objective

Strengthen health system resilience and multisectoral preparedness and response capacity for health emergencies at regional and national levels.

Project Components

Component 1 — Strengthening Preparedness and Resilience of Health Systems

Focuses on strengthening national and regional health systems to better prepare for and manage public health emergencies. Key interventions include strengthening governance structures, enhancing planning and financing mechanisms, supporting health workforce development, and improving digital health systems.

Component 2 — Improving Detection and Response to Health Emergencies

Supports improved detection, surveillance, and response to health threats at national and regional levels. Activities include strengthening collaborative disease surveillance, enhancing laboratory diagnostic capacity, and improving risk communication and community engagement.

Component 3 — Project Management, Coordination and Monitoring

Supports effective management and coordination of the project, including monitoring and evaluation, financial management, reporting, and coordination among participating countries and regional partners.

Component 4 — Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC)

Provides rapid access to emergency financing to enable countries to respond quickly to eligible crises or health emergencies.

Role of ECSA-HC

Under the HEPRR MPA Project, ECSA-HC provides regional coordination and technical support to participating countries. Key responsibilities include:

Providing technical assistance to countries to strengthen preparedness and response capacities
Facilitating regional knowledge sharing and peer learning among countries
Supporting the development of national and regional strategic plans and operational frameworks
Coordinating cross-border and multi-country health emergency preparedness initiatives
Supporting peer-to-peer assessments of International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities
Facilitating regional dialogue, collaboration, and policy engagement among participating countries

Key Outputs & Achievements

Baseline assessments of health emergency preparedness capacities in participating countries
Cross-border surveillance review meetings and preparedness coordination activities
Strategic risk assessments for Points of Entry (PoEs)
Regional training of experts supporting Joint External Evaluation (JEE) assessments
Strengthening laboratory quality management systems and diagnostic capacity
Development of regional surveillance frameworks and preparedness guidelines
Capacity building workshops for health professionals and emergency response teams

ECSA Projects

Current Projects

The Global Fund: Regional TB Diagnostic Strengthening Project

AFE Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience MPA Project

Past Projects

TIMS PROJECT PHASE III (TB in the Mining Sector)