The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) Turns 32
Bobo-Dioulasso, 5 July 2019 | The West African Health Organization (WAHO) is the Specialized Institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) responsible for health issues. This year WAHO is celebrating 32 years of the signing of the protocol (A/P2/7/87) creating WAHO on 9 July 1987 by the Heads of State and Government in Abuja. Every year, the day is celebrated with three types of activities - Headquarters activities, Country activities, and Regional activities.
The main objective of the celebration is to rededicate WAHO to the vision of the founding fathers and to the mandate of promoting regional integration through health. The Director General of WAHO, Prof. Stanley Okolo said “It is an opportunity to share with you the population of West Africa what we have been doing during the past year, our achievements, our challenges and our future plans”.
WAHO Day also provides an opportunity for the staff to interact with the host community in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
Planned activities are:
- Headquarters activities: The highlights of this year’s celebration at the Headquarters are a cross-country race involving the staff of WAHO and some local authorities, and members of the Bobo-Dioulasso community in addition to a donation to the Gendarmerie Infirmary;
- Country activities: This is conducted in each of the 15 country of ECOWAS and coordinated by the Liaison Officers. The official DG’s message on WAHO Day celebration will be disseminated by the countries’ Liaison Officers who will also undertake media briefing about WAHO activities in their countries; and
- Regional activities: This year, WAHO DG and the acting Federal Minister of Health of Nigeria will celebrate the day in Daura in Katsina State in Nigeria. WAHO will make a donation to Leko Abdurahman General Hospital, Daura in Katsina State, a hospital that serves not only the people of Katsina State but also of Niger Republic.
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