Incoming Director-General of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), Prof. Vincent Palokinam Pitche, has pledged to deploy his experience and reform agenda to strengthen health systems, improve healthcare access and promote sustainable health financing across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.
Pitche, who is expected to assume leadership of the regional health institution, made the commitment in an interaction ahead of his formal assumption of office, outlining a vision focused on stronger health systems, regional solidarity, sustainable financing and improved access to quality healthcare.
His declaration, “Tant que je ne suis pas arrivé, je ne lâche rien,” loosely translated as “Until I get there, I won’t give up,” underscored his determination to confront the complex health challenges confronting West Africa.
Pitche brings extensive experience in public health and disease-control programmes, particularly in Togo, where he was prominently involved in the country’s HIV/AIDS response for nearly two decades.
His experience comes as the region grapples with interconnected health challenges, including infectious diseases, emerging epidemics, maternal and child mortality, inadequate health infrastructure, shortages of healthcare workers, weak domestic financing and overstretched public health systems.
The incoming WAHO chief is expected to champion stronger regional cooperation, arguing that West Africa’s health challenges cannot be effectively addressed through isolated national interventions.
A key component of his emerging agenda is sustainable health financing. Many countries in the region remain heavily dependent on external funding for critical health programmes, leaving some interventions vulnerable to fluctuations in donor priorities and funding.
Pitche is therefore expected to encourage greater domestic resource mobilisation and stronger political commitment to health financing, with governments treating healthcare spending as an investment in human capital and economic development.
He is also expected to push for deeper regional cooperation in disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, technical expertise, procurement and the sharing of scarce resources.
Headquartered in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, WAHO is the specialised health institution of ECOWAS, with a mandate to coordinate regional health interventions and strengthen cooperation among member states.
The organisation’s role has become increasingly critical as public health emergencies continue to transcend national borders. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in health systems across the region while highlighting the importance of coordinated surveillance, information sharing and joint responses.
Previous outbreaks of Ebola and Lassa fever have similarly reinforced the need for stronger regional preparedness and rapid-response mechanisms.
Beyond emergency management, Pitche will face the broader task of supporting improvements in routine healthcare delivery, including primary healthcare, maternal and child health, disease prevention, health workforce development and access to essential medicines.
His background in HIV/AIDS programming could also prove valuable in sustaining gains against the epidemic while promoting the integration of HIV services into stronger national health systems.
However, his tenure will have to contend with significant disparities among ECOWAS member states in health financing, infrastructure, workforce capacity and institutional strength. Political instability and insecurity in parts of the region have further complicated healthcare delivery, particularly in conflict-affected and displaced communities.
Against this backdrop, Pitche is expected to pursue a more practical approach to regional integration, with emphasis on measurable outcomes rather than programmes and declarations alone.
The effectiveness of his leadership will ultimately be judged by tangible improvements in disease surveillance, health infrastructure, access to essential services, workforce resilience and countries’ capacity to finance and sustain their own health priorities.
As Pitche prepares to take over WAHO, expectations are high. For millions of West Africans still facing barriers to healthcare because of poverty, inadequate infrastructure, distance and shortages of medical personnel, the defining test of his administration will be whether his reform agenda translates into better health outcomes.
His pledge not to give up until he gets there could, therefore, become an early symbol of the determination he intends to bring to regional health cooperation.
