BySolaOgundipe & Victoria OJEME
MINISTER of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, has called for commitment to the sub-regional plan of epidemics prevention and control, just as the West African Health Organisation is to develop a four-year regional support for epidemic prone disease control in the Economic Community of West African States region.

Speaking at the opening of the 2nd Extraordinary Assembly of Health Ministers of  ECOWAS, last week in Abuja, Chukwu, who is also Chairman of the Assembly of Health Ministers of ECOWAS, advocated to member countries for improved funding for the implementation of the plan.

His words: “The importance and urgency of holding this 2nd Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Health Ministers lie in the fact that our Region continues to be the haven for countless epidemic-prone diseases, despite the enormous efforts devoted for increased disease surveillance, preparedness and response.

Chukwu also said: “In truth, epidemic-prone diseases have always prevailed in our environment. Cholera alone has caused in 2010, approximately 1900 deaths in 8 countries. Meningitis hit 7 countries since January 2010, causing 1,720 deaths. Measles, a disease placed in a test phase, is growing every year, reflecting not only the weakness of our health systems, but also their inability to sustain gains achieved with the mass action through international support.

Continuing, he noted: “It is good to say that despite the outbreaks of diseases recorded in almost all countries of our community, mortality rates have decreased significantly. This fact in itself means that with better organisation and capacity building interventions, we can surely achieve positive results in the control of epidemics.