The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has called for deeper regional cooperation, sustainable healthcare financing, technological innovation and stronger preparedness against emerging health threats as critical pillars for safeguarding the future of healthcare across the ECOWAS region.
The call was made as the specialised health agency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) marked its 39th anniversary with a renewed commitment to strengthening health systems and improving access to quality healthcare for millions of people across West Africa.
In a commemorative statement, WAHO Director-General, Dr. Melchior Aïssi, reflected on nearly four decades of regional health cooperation while outlining an ambitious roadmap to address some of the sub-region’s most pressing public health challenges.
Established on July 9, 1987, by ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, WAHO was created to coordinate regional responses to health emergencies, harmonise health policies and strengthen healthcare systems across member states. Aïssi said the organisation has remained committed to that mandate despite changing political, economic and institutional realities.
He described this year’s anniversary as particularly significant because it coincides with the completion of his tenure as Director-General, noting that WAHO had overcome numerous challenges while recording significant achievements through the collective efforts of ECOWAS institutions, member states and development partners.
According to him, the relocation of the organisation’s headquarters to Côte d’Ivoire and broader institutional changes within ECOWAS did not diminish its effectiveness but instead demonstrated its resilience and the dedication of its workforce.
Highlighting key achievements over the past year, Aïssi said WAHO intensified efforts to strengthen national health systems, promote exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life, mobilise domestic resources for healthcare financing and expand implementation of the regional community health policy.
He identified the 27th Assembly of ECOWAS Ministers of Health in Freetown, Sierra Leone, as a defining moment, with ministers adopting several landmark policy instruments expected to shape healthcare delivery across the region.
The measures included the adoption of a Regional Framework for Malaria Elimination, the Freetown Charter on technology and data-driven strategies to reduce maternal, neonatal and infant mortality, regional recommendations promoting exclusive breastfeeding and fresh commitments to strengthen domestic healthcare financing.
Aïssi said the decisions reflected the growing determination of ECOWAS member states to build resilient, innovative and equitable health systems capable of delivering quality healthcare to millions of citizens.
He also welcomed the renewed confidence expressed by ECOWAS Ministers of Health in WAHO’s leadership, attributing the recognition to the dedication of the organisation’s staff, member states and development partners.
Looking ahead, the Director-General warned that West Africa faces increasingly complex health challenges requiring coordinated regional responses. He identified health security, emerging and re-emerging diseases, climate change, digital transformation of healthcare, regional pharmaceutical manufacturing and sustainable financing as key priorities demanding stronger collaboration among governments and stakeholders.
“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,” Aïssi said.
He paid tribute to ECOWAS leaders, ministers of health, healthcare professionals, technical and financial partners and WAHO staff for their contributions over the past 39 years, expressing confidence that the organisation would continue advancing the goal of universal access to quality healthcare for every woman, man and child across West Africa through sustained regional cooperation and international support.
