By Joseph Erunke, ABUJA

Reminiscing about previous ugly experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola, Marburg and Monkeypox diseases among others, the board of directors of ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control, met in Abuja yesterday to deliberate and propose actions for steps for early detection of threats.

Speaking at the event,the Director General of the West Africa Health Association, Dr. Melchior Athanase Joël Aissi, explained that the meeting was 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.

According to him, the meeting was also to identify the bottlenecks as well as the appropriate corrective measures to support the activities of the said center, and to plan the next steps as well as strengthen the structural and strategic operationalization of the CRSCM.

He charged member states to build on the existing strong and renewed partnerships to effectively prevent, detect and respond to public health events in West Africa.

On the other hand,the WAHO boss tasked the board of directors to come up with some fairly clear and actionable recommendations that will strengthen the role of the CRSCM in the ECOWAS region..

Noting that an average of 40 emerging, re-emerging diseases were recorded in West Africa in the past few years,he emphasized the establishment of a consolidated community approach and sensitive alert mechanisms for the early detection of the main threats.

The WAHO boss also urged 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 the people.

He said:”On behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Aliou Touré, and on my own behalf, I have the honor and pleasure to be with you and to welcome you here to Abuja, Nigeria for this very important seventh meeting of the Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Regional Center for Disease Surveillance and Control (CRSCM).

“In recent years, an average of 40 new outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases such as Ebola, Marburg, COVID-19, Monkeypox have been recorded in ECOWAS.

“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 – To strengthen capacities for surveillance, disease prevention, response and resilience to epidemics and other health emergencies in the ECOWAS region.

” I thank 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 be with us. This shows the importance you attach to the CRSCM and through the center, to the Western Organization.

“Created since May 2015 following a decision of the 47th Conference of Heads of State of ECOWAS, the Regional Center for Disease Surveillance and Control (CRSCM of ECOWAS) is a young tool but already very tested by recurrent epidemics and / or emerging.

He said the aim of the meeting was for the board of directors to learn and propose actions for the next steps of the work plan for the period.

“If irreversible progress has been made in the context of health security in the ECOWAS region, it is far from sufficient. Unacceptable gaps remain within and between countries.

“We can no longer view health security as a cost, but rather as an investment that forms the foundation of our productive, resilient and inclusive economies and societies.

“For this, we would like to emphasize the establishment of a consolidated community approach and sensitive alert mechanisms for the early detection of the main threats.

“To this end, we should build on the existing strong and renewed partnerships to effectively prevent, detect and respond to public health events in West Africa.

“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 added