By Danjuma Amodu
The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has declared that safeguarding health across West Africa will require greater regional cooperation, domestic financing and technological innovation, as the ECOWAS agency marks 39 years of coordinating health responses in the sub-region.
In an anniversary statement issued on Wednesday, WAHO Director-General, Dr. Melchior Aïssi, reflected on nearly four decades of regional health collaboration and outlined a roadmap to address some of the most pressing health challenges facing ECOWAS member states.
Founded on July 9, 1987, by ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, WAHO was established to coordinate responses to health emergencies, harmonise health policies and strengthen healthcare systems. Dr. Aïssi said the organisation has remained committed to that mandate despite shifting political and institutional realities.
Describing the anniversary as significant because it coincides with the end of his tenure, Aïssi said WAHO had recorded notable achievements through the collective commitment of ECOWAS institutions, member states and development partners.
He noted that even the relocation of WAHO’s headquarters to Côte d’Ivoire and other changes within ECOWAS did not slow the organisation’s work, but rather highlighted its resilience and the dedication of its staff.
The Director-General highlighted key initiatives over the past year, including efforts to strengthen national health systems, promote exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, mobilise domestic resources for health financing, and expand the regional community health policy.
A major milestone, he said, was the 27th Assembly of ECOWAS Ministers of Health in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where ministers adopted new regional policy instruments.
These included a Regional Framework for Malaria Elimination, the Freetown Charter on using technology and data to reduce maternal, neonatal and infant mortality, regional guidelines on exclusive breastfeeding, and fresh commitments to boost domestic health financing.
Aïssi described the decisions as proof of a growing determination by ECOWAS member states to build more resilient, innovative and equitable health systems to serve millions across the sub-region.
He also welcomed renewed confidence expressed by ECOWAS Ministers of Health in WAHO’s leadership, saying the recognition belonged to staff, member states and partners who delivered results despite difficult conditions.
Looking ahead, Aïssi warned that West Africa faces increasingly complex health threats that require coordinated action.
He listed health security, emerging and re-emerging diseases, climate change, digital transformation of health systems, regional pharmaceutical production and sustainable financing as priority areas requiring stronger collaboration.
“I remain deeply convinced that the future of our Organisation rests on this collective capacity to innovate, to pool our experiences and to act together for the benefit of our populations,” he said.
Paying tribute to contributors to WAHO’s 39-year journey, Aïssi commended ECOWAS leaders, health ministers, healthcare workers, technical and financial partners, and WAHO staff for building one of Africa’s leading regional health institutions.
He expressed confidence that with continued support, WAHO will advance the goal of universal access to quality healthcare for every woman, man and child in West Africa.
