East African Community regional policy on prevention, management and control of alcohol, drugs and other substance use

Publications

East African Community regional policy on prevention, management and control of alcohol, drugs and other substance use

31 May 2019

By The EAC Secretariat

The East African Community is a regional intergovernmental organization established by a Treaty of 1999, is made up of six (6) Partner States namely: The Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania with its headquarters in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania - mainland. The EAC has an estimated population of over 150 million people. The region is mainly composed of a young population with up to 64.2% aged 0-24 years1 . The objectives of the EAC are to develop policies and programs for widening and deepening cooperation among the Partner States in political, economic, social and cultural fields, research and technology, security, legal and judicial affairs for their mutual benefit. In line with the Vision of the EAC Health Policy “A healthy and productive population in the East African Community” the region has prioritized health as one of the pillars essential for the attainment of the above objectives. With the coming into force of the EAC Common Market Protocol ratified by all Partner States there is increased movement of people goods and services across the region. The increased volume of people crossing from one partner state to another is likely to facilitate the movement of licit and illicit Alcohol, drugs and other substances. This is further compounded by the existence of porous borders across Partner States, nonadherence to existing regulatory mechanisms and inadequate human capacities.