By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
The Director General of West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO), Dr. Melchior Athanase J.C. Aissi has decried the incessant outbreaks of diseases in the West African sub region (ECOWAS) region.
Aissi who spoke at the 7th Governing Board Meeting of the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (CRSCM) at Stratton Hotel, Asokoro in Abuja on Thursday, April 20, 2023, lamented that in the recent time no fewer than 40 new outbreaks of of emerging and re-emerging diseases have been recorded in ECOWAS countries.
Said he: “In recent years, an average of 40 new outbreaks of of emerging and re-emerging diseases such as Ebola, Marburg, Covid-19, Monkeypox, have been recorded in ECOWAS countries”.
According to him: “This, if it were still necessary, highlights the need to continue to strengthen the capacity of the CRSCM to achieve the objective for which it was created which are:
To strengthen capacities for Surveillance, disease prevention, response and resilience to epidemics and other health emergencies in the ECOWAS region”.
WAHO boss therefore thanked the Members of the Board of Directors and the representatives of the ECOWAS Member States present as well as those Online for taking the time to attend the event.
“This shows the importance you attach to the CRSCM and through the Center, to the Western Organization”, the DG posited.
Speaking further, he said that a Board of Directors is very useful for good performance of WAHO hence he urged the participants in the Abuja event to ensure that the region is not ravaged by diseases.
“Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, I am hopeful that over the next few hours we will be able to come up with fairly clear and actionable recommendations that will strengthen the role of the CRSCM in the ECOWAS region. I would also like to urge this Board of Directors to come up with new, bold and innovative, achievable and practical ideas to guide and support countries investing in health security for the benefit of our people”, he concluded.
Created since 2015 following a decision of the 47th Conference of Heads of State of ECOWAS, the Regional Centre for Disease Surveillance and Control (CRSCM of ECOWAS) is a young tool but already very tested by recurrent epidemics and/ or emerging.
The inaugural meeting of its 1st Board of Directors, held on June 27, 28, 2016, made it possible to lay a solid foundation for its operation. Thus, in accordance with the regulations, the Board of Directors should meet twice in a year to review the activities carried out, reassure on the lessons learned and propose actions for the next steps of the work plan for the period.
The meeting in Abuja therefore allowed CRSCM:
To discuss updates on the epidemiological situation in West Africa and find out about the level of progress made from November 2021 to March 2023 in the CRSCM work plan, but also to identify the bottlenecks as well as the appropriate corrective measures to support the activities of the said Centre, and to plan the next steps as well as strengthen the structural and strategic operationalization of the CRSCM.
The seminar which was attended by Directors of Centre for Surveillance & Disease Control (CSDC) of the Ministry of Health from 16 West African countries including Nigeria was coordinated by Dr. Virgil Lokossou, Executive Director, ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance & Disease Control (RCSDC) while Professor Issiaka Sombie, Director, Public Health & Research, WAHO also made presentation at the event.
