The PREPARE project is structured around four strategic objectives:

1. Strengthening Cross-Border Surveillance and Early Warning Systems: Establishing and operationalizing robust surveillance mechanisms with timely early warning and rapid response capacities in high-risk border regions.
2. Enhancing Laboratory Capacity: Upgrading laboratory infrastructure and capabilities in cross-border areas to enable prompt detection, characterization, and confirmation of priority pathogens, including emerging diseases such as Mpox.
3. Building Health Workforce and Community System Capacities: Strengthening the regional health workforce and community-based systems within the One Health framework to improve preparedness, response, and community resilience against public health emergencies.
4. Promoting Evidence-Based Advocacy and Multi-Sectoral Coordination: Facilitating inclusive and sustainable coordination across sectors and member states, while fostering evidence-based advocacy for epidemic preparedness and response. This includes addressing current outbreaks, such as Mpox and Marburg, as well as enhancing readiness for future threats.

Purpose of the PREPARE Project Launch  

The PREPARE Project Launch will prioritize Mpox, Marburg, and other epidemic and pandemic threats by driving high-level policy dialogue and advocacy to strengthen regional preparedness and response. The launch will also serve as a platform to enhance awareness and sensitization among policymakers, partners, and stakeholders about ongoing infectious disease outbreaks, including Mpox and Marburg, and the urgent need for coordinated, cross-border action

Objectives

The specific objectives of the PREPARE project launch will be to:

1. Officially launch the PREPARE Project to introduce its goals, components, and implementation approach to stakeholders at the regional and national levels.
2. Advocate for high-level political commitment and policy action to prioritize preparedness and response to Mpox, Marburg, and other epidemic and pandemic threats within the IGAD region.
3. Enhance awareness and sensitization among policymakers, partners, and stakeholders regarding ongoing infectious disease outbreaks, including Mpox and Marburg, and the urgent need for coordinated cross-border response.
4. MobiliSe partnerships, resources, and multisectoral collaboration, including One Health approaches, to strengthen regional and national capacities for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response.