Information meeting between West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and Communication Officers of ECOWAS Member Countries is underway in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Declaring open the two-day meeting on Thursday, the Chief of Staff in the Burkina Faso Ministry of Health, Mr. Ousmane Nere, lauded WAHO’s initiative to engage communication officers and media practioners in Member Countries with a view to ensuring adequate publicity of activities in the health sector.
He noted that the meeting was timely considering the fact that ECOWAS now has a new strategic health plans that would be implemented from 2016, hence, the need for partnership with media practioners.
While stressing that the meeting would be a starting point of strategic partnership between WAHO and communications officers, Mr. Nere, expressed optimism that the outcome will ensure better visibility of WAHO activities across the West African sub-region.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General of WAHO Mr. Xavier Crespin, said the meeting was conveyed to brainstorm with communication officers and media practioners on the implementation of WAHO activities with a view to getting their input on how best to ensure sustained visibility in the media in their respective countries.
He emphasised that effective communication constitutes important segment of the implementation of activities in the health sector.
Mr. Crepin thanked the Transition Government of Burkina Faso for accepting to host the interactive meeting and for putting necessary logistics in place for a successful meeting.
He also commended the government for conducting a hitch-free election recently, saying “it is victory for democracy. “
WAHO was established by the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in 1987 with headquarters in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
It is the sole genuine ECOWAS institution responsible for health matters and has to its credit several success stories in the health sector.
Two participants representing the Ministry of Health and a senior media practioner from each of the 15-Member Countries are attending the meeting holding at Hotel Palm Beach in Ouagadougou.
