Health and Nutrition contribute to the socioeconomic transformation of the East African region. The region is currently undergoing major health transformations, powered by changing human-animal-environmental interactions; population dynamics; and socio-economic development. Better health is central to human well-being, and a well-nourished, healthy workforce is a vital asset for sustainable development. Foods and nutrients are the most important environmental factors influencing growth, development, functional abilities, and health. Nutrition plays a critical role in human resource development as deficiencies in essential nutrients lead to malnutrition, which affects mental and physical state, resulting in poor health and poor work performance. The East Africa region, like other low and middle-income regions, is experiencing a concurrent triple burden of common infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and the neglected tropical diseases (NTD) including Schistosomiasis, Onchocerciasis, and Cysticercosis; non-communicable diseases including malaria, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancers; and epidemic and pandemic diseases related to increasing globalization, trade and climate change such as Influenza, Ebola, Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever and Rift Valley Fever (RVF) and COVID -19. Interventions at the levels of disease surveillance, prevention and management require reliable data and information from research and innovation. There is a need to conduct research in diagnostics, development of new drugs and vaccines, drug resistance, vector control, risk factors of non-communicable diseases including mental health; reproductive health including maternal and child health, micronutrient deficiencies, bio-fortification, dietary behaviour and indigenous foods.
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