(Ecofin Agency) - Member countries of the East African community issued a call to development partners for the elaboration of an E-health strategic plan. The plan that will span over 2019-2028 is aimed at transforming health services by capitalizing on IT to improve the population’s health access and quality of health services within the community.

On December 5, 2018, the member countries of the community, represented by Libérat Mfumukeko (photo), general secretary of the said community, issued a funding appeal when the Bujumbura (Burundi) based East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC) officially launched operations.

Created in June 2007, the institution will provide health and research advice to the community. According to Libérat Mfumukeko, the e-health strategic plan will be elaborated by the EAHRC.

This is the fourth joint IT project initiated by the community. In 2015, they created a single telecom zone to reduce roaming costs. They are also thinking of interconnection in the mobile money market. In addition, harmonization of IT and telecom policies was discussed on November 22, 2018, during the "2019 Kuza Broadcasting Awards" to attract foreign direct investments in the region.