Strengthening Border Health Security: ECSA-HC and IGAD Hosts Regional Training of Trainers on Strategic Risk Assessment for Points of Entry

East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) in collaboration with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), hosted a Regional Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop on the Methodology to Conduct Strategic Risk Assessment (SRA) for Points of Entry (PoEs) and cross-border settings in Machakos, Kenya, from 30th June to 5th July 2025.

This critical workshop was organized under the umbrella of the Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPRR) Program, which supports countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa region to strengthen their health emergency preparedness and response capabilities in line with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).

Building Regional Capacity for Health Security at Borders

As global public health threats increasingly transcend national boundaries, the capacity of countries to anticipate, assess, and manage cross-border health risks becomes essential. This training specifically targeted national-level technical experts, aiming to equip participants with the knowledge and skills required to conduct SRAs at designated PoEs and border zones.

Participants were drawn from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania forming a regional pool of experts who will serve as Regional and National trainers and facilitators in the implementation of future SRA exercises.

Participants expressed a strong commitment to replicate the training at country level and initiate joint cross-border SRA exercises. Through this approach, countries aim to strengthen regional cooperation, enhance disease surveillance at borders, and ensure rapid response to public health events.

With the successful completion of this training, ECSA-HC and IGAD mark another significant milestone in advancing regional health security and the implementation of IHR (2005) requirements in Eastern and Southern Africa.