By Iyemah David
The West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) said it is collaborating with some stakeholders to strengthen epidemic preparedness in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and beyond.
The Director-General of the organisation, Prof. Stanley Okolo, disclosed this in an Interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
Okolo said that WAHO had signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with African Risk Capacity (ARC) and Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) in this regard, adding that “the outcome is a matter of common interest.
“Through this new partnership agreement facilitated by AfriCatalyst, the three institutions have formalised their innovative alliance which will bring together innovative finance and policy.”
The WAHO boss said that the move would provide technical expertise to strengthening epidemic preparedness and response in the ECOWAS region and beyond.
He said that “for several years, IPD, ARC, and WAHO have been actively involved in efforts to mitigate the adverse impact of health emergencies in the ECOWAS region.
“This is in line with their respective mandate and collaboration with various partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
“Supplementing existing bilateral agreements between the signatories in the context of the alliance will facilitate collaborative efforts to mitigate the negative impact of acute health emergencies in West Africa.
“This will include building sustainable capacities in ECOWAS member states, harnessing state-of-the-art technologies to respond and access innovative finance mechanisms.”
He disclosed that the BMGF funding would play a catalytic role in the activities of the alliance, saying “ARC welcomes this great Africa-led initiative; it will enable early containment of epidemic-prone diseases and respond to public health emergencies.
“The IPD-ARC-WAHO alliance, supported by the BMGF will bring an innovative approach to dealing impactfully with epidemic and pandemic preparedness in West Africa and beyond.
“We are excited to start this initiative. AfriCatalyst is honoured to have the privilege to support this innovative and strategic partnership between pan-African, regional and national champions.”
