IGAD Health & Social Development Division

🔬𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐬. 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 | #HEPRRPUpdates With over 60% of emerging infectious diseases originating in animals, IGAD and @ASLM_News trained the first cohort of animal health laboratory auditors using #QualiPATH to strengthen lab quality, advance ISO accreditation and enhance early detection of zoonotic threats. Participants from Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi, DR Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Zambia and São Tomé & Príncipe combined theory and examinations with practical mock audits at Kenya’s Kabete Veterinary Laboratory. Developed by @ASLM_News, #QualiPATH offers a standardized, stepwise approach to assessing animal health laboratories and guiding them towards international accreditation. 🎥 Watch the event highlights below.⤵️

Is Our Health Emergency Response Leaving Anyone Behind? From 19 to 23 October 2026, the @IGADsecretariat and @ECSA_HC teamed up to drive Gender and Equity Integration in Zambia’s health emergency preparedness and response. Read More: igad.int/igad-and-ecsa-hc-dr… @WorldBankGroup @meigague @EldumaElduma @mohzambia #HEPRRPUpdates #IGADHealth

📍 Djibouti City, Djibouti 🇩🇯 | 26 October 2026 At #MigrationDay, @IGADHealthS and technical partner @AddisIlo presented progress under #FMPT_II and discussed key migration issues, including #FreeMovement, transhumance, labour migration, integrated border management and challenges along the #RedSeaRoute. Closing the event, H.E. Ambassador @meigague called for stronger partnerships and coordinated action to advance regional migration governance. He thanked the Government of #Djibouti, @UEaDjibouti, @GermanyinDJI, @AddisIlo, @DjiboutiIom and IGAD partners for their continued support. #IGAD #IGADMigration #MigrationGovernance #RisingWithIGAD

📍 Djibouti City, Djibouti 🇩🇯 | 28 October 2026 @IGADHealthS joined the Government of Djibouti and IOM for a technical workshop aimed at aligning Djibouti’s National Migration Strategy with regional and international migration frameworks, including the IGAD Migration Action Plan and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM). Speaking on behalf of the IGAD Executive Secretary, H.E. @DrWorkneh, Ambassador Moussa A. @meigague emphasised the importance of protecting migrants, expanding livelihood opportunities and promoting safe and regular migration pathways. “Migration itself is not the problem. The real challenge is to ensure that it is safe, orderly, regular and well managed.” @Min_Int_Djib @UNDjibouti @UEaDjibouti @DjiboutiIom @meigague #IGADMigration #RisingWithIGAD

📍 Djibouti City, Djibouti 🇩🇯 | 25 October 2026 H.E. Ambassador Moussa A. Meigague, Director of IGAD’s Health and Social Development Division, welcomed a delegation from the International Labour Organization (ILO) for a technical meeting on the EU-funded Free Movement Protocol project. The meeting reviewed progress in project implementation and identified areas requiring further attention, including timely feedback on ILO reports, compliance with IGAD policies and procedures, and addressing implementation bottlenecks. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening coordination and collaboration to advance the project’s objectives and support free movement and labour mobility across the IGAD region. #IGAD #IGADMigration #FreeMovement #LabourMobility #ILO

𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐄𝐅𝐃𝐀 𝐋𝐚𝐛 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐛 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 IGAD and regional experts are in Addis Ababa for readiness assessment of Ethiopia’s Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) Quality Control Laboratory to evaluate its preparedness to serve as a Regional Reference Laboratory for health products and technologies across Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. The initiative is supported under the @WorldBankGroup funded Health Emergency Preparedness Response and Resilience Programme for East and Southern Africa. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: igad.int/igad-leads-regional…

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐈 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐈𝐈: 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 IGAD, Kenya, Ethiopia & Somalia convened the Hanaano Technical Government Advisory Committee (TGAC) meeting on 21–22 October, 2026 in #Machakos, Kenya, to review Phase I achievements and chart the way forward for Phase II. Building on gains in nutrition, WASH and livelihoods, Phase II will strengthen cross-border coordination, evidence-based policies, access to nutrition and health services, and sustainable livelihoods to prevent childhood wasting and build resilient communities across the Mandera Triangle. Read More: 🔗 igad.int/igad-and-three-mand… @Concern @Irish_Aid

📍𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 🗓️26–30 October 2026, Addis Ababa 🇪🇹 #IGAD, alongside experts from National Quality Control Laboratories in Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia, has begun a five-day assessment of the Ethiopia Food and Drug Authority (EFDA)’s Quality Control Laboratory to assess its readiness to serve as a Regional Reference Laboratory. The assessment will evaluate laboratory capacity, quality management systems, technical expertise and operational readiness, identifying gaps and priority actions to strengthen regional testing services and regulatory collaboration. The Director @IGADHealthS Amb. Moussa @Meigague emphasized that the exercise is a practical step towards building a connected regional quality-assurance system that protects public health and strengthens confidence in health products. Supported through IGAD’s @WorldBankGroup-funded #HEPRR-MPA, the initiative aims to enhance regulatory reliance, improve detection of substandard and falsified medical products, and expand access to quality-assured health products across the region. #HEPRRPUpdates #IGADHealth

📍 Djibouti City, Djibouti 🇩🇯 | 26 October 2026 On the occasion of Migration Day, @IGADHealthS reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation on migration governance, migrant protection, and safe, regular and orderly migration pathways. Speaking on behalf of the #IGAD Executive Secretary, H.E. @DrWorkneh, H.E. Ambassador Moussa A. @meigague, Director of IGAD’s Health and Social Development Division, joined discussions at Ayla Grand Hotel reviewing achievements and exploring future prospects for the migration partnership between the Republic of Djibouti and the European Union. In his opening remarks, Ambassador @meigague highlighted the links between migration, employment, trade, peace and security, public health, climate resilience and sustainable development. He emphasised that, when safe, orderly and well governed, migration can drive economic growth, skills development and regional integration. #IGAD #IGADMigration #MigrationGovernance #Djibouti #EuropeanUnion

📍𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐃 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚. #IGAD, in partnership with @AddisILO and with technical facilitation from @IomAcbc, is conducting a five-day Integrated Border Management (IBM) training in #AddisAbaba for Ethiopian immigration and border management officials. The first two days focused on migration governance, free movement of persons, labour migration, border cooperation, and inter-agency coordination. On Day 3, participants are exploring the links between migration and security, including migrant smuggling, trafficking in persons, transnational organised crime, irregular migration, and protection-sensitive border management. Implemented under the @UEaDjibouti-funded Free Movement of Persons and Transhumance Project Phase II (FMPT-II), the training aims to strengthen border governance, promote safe and orderly migration, and advance regional integration across the IGAD region. #FreeMovement #MigrationGovernance