The East African Community (EAC) together with International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), have successfully concluded a US$2.5 million Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project in the region.

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The three-year project started in 2021. It was aimed at strengthening the capacity of EAC partner states to prevent and control the spread of Covid-19 and other infectious diseases using hygiene measures, risk communication and community sensitisation.

The project achieved remarkable milestones, including the installation and renovation of 43 fixed handwashing facilities at the points of entry and border hotspots of seven partner states; Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. It has reached over five million people living in border communities across the region encouraging protective health and hygiene behaviours to prevent the spread of zoonotic and water-borne infectious diseases, including Covid-19 and Ebola.

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Speaking at the closing ceremony of the project in Rugerero Sector, Rubavu District, on Tuesday, July 30, the EAC Deputy Secretary General, in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Aguer Ariik, said that proper health and hygiene facilities and services at border points is a critical factor in the two integration pillars of Customs Union and Common market as demonstrated by the effective management of Covid-19 and other communicable diseases such as Ebola.

Ariik said that hand wash facilities installed in partner states perform a vital role in ensuring that health and hygiene are maintained at the border points. He commended IOM and GIZ for supporting the WASH project.

"I urge Partner States to promote use of the facilities that have been installed and put in place measures of support such as provision of clean water at the points of entry and the authorities to ensure appropriate regular maintenance,’’ he said, noting that the project also conducted awareness programmes to border communities on the importance of hygiene and health practices in helping to curb the spread of infectious and zoonotic diseases, including Covid-19, MPox and Ebola.

Reflecting on Petite Barrière border crossing on the Rwanda-DR Congo border where about 7,000 people cross per day, Ariik said that "these people need to be protected from Covid-19. They need hygiene, and we need to protect them from other communicable diseases that are actually caused by lack of or poor hygiene.”

The Mayor of Rubavu District, Prosper Mulindwa, said the infrastructure handed over to the district is essential since neighbouring DR Congo has a high number of Mpox cases. Mulindwa urged area residents to make good use of the facilities by increasingly washing hands as one of the preventive measures against numerous diseases.

Mulindwa suggested that more of such projects should be set up so as to reach a larger population.

Figures from Rubavu District show that the movement of people between Rwanda and DR Congo through Petite Barrière and Grande Barrière, the two main border posts between Rubavu and Goma, increased to approximately 20,000 people per day in 2023 up from 1,200 people per day during the Covid-19 pandemic period.

The German Ambassador to Rwanda, Heike Uta Dettmann, said the project underscores her country’s unwavering commitment to ensuring inclusive development and health equity for border communities.

"Over the past three years, we have witnessed remarkable progress of the 43 high-standard handwashing facilities have been installed at points of entry and border hotspots across all EAC partner states, significantly enhancing access to essential hygiene practices,” said Amb. Dettmann.

Ash Carl, the IOM Rwanda Chief of Mission, said the free movement of people including across borders and within countries, is one vehicle through which diseases spread.

"With human mobility expected to increase as the factors that cause people to migrate multiply, it’s critical to support better health outcomes, by strengthening border officials’ capacities, conducting hygiene awareness campaigns, and enhancing border health screening and referral systems,” said Carl.

During the closing ceremony, the EAC handed over two new handwashing stations to the Mayor of Rubavu District and highlighted the critical linkages between human mobility and health, emphasising the importance of robust WASH infrastructure in preventing the spread of diseases.

The closing ceremony brought together high-level representatives from the EAC, GIZ and IOM as well as national focal points from relevant ministries of health, infrastructure, water and EAC Affairs from the partner states.