2017-04-11 13:12:29

Monrovia, Liberia, April 10, 2017 ' The West African Health Organization (WAHO) is holding a two-day regional technical meeting on Post-Ebola in Monrovia, Liberia.

The objective of the meeting is to accelerate the implementation of measures aimed at improving the region's capabilities for the prevention, detection and response to threats posed by emerging infectious diseases including zoonotic diseases.

The opening ceremony was chaired by the Liberia Minister of Health, Dr Bernice T. Dahn and had in attendance Dr Xavier Crespin, the Director General of WAHO and WAHO team, the Special Representative of the President's of the ECOWAS Commission and staff of the Commission, representatives of the Ministry of Health of Liberia, representatives of WHO Africa Region Office and Liberia Country Office, key partners and representatives from the 15 ECOWAS member states.

Five speeches were made at the ceremony. The first one was from the Director of the Liberia Institute of Public Health, followed by a representative of the Director General of WHO-AFRO, the speech by the Director General of WAHO, the speech of the Special Representative of the President's of the ECOWAS Commission and then the official opening speech.

The Director General of WAHO, Dr Xavier Crespin in his speech noted that the meeting was recommended by the Conference of the Heads of States of ECOWAS to update all on the implementation of key decisions and recommendations made after the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease. These key decisions include the creation of the ECOWAS Regional Center for Disease Control (RCDC), setting up of networks to strengthen the fight against epidemics, the setting up of a solidarity fund.

The meeting, he said was therefore to provide update of the status of implementation of those decisions but also to discuss what the three countries that most suffered the Ebola epidemics (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) and the region as a whole had done in terms of management of epidemics, health systems, resource mobilization and partnership as well as the Abuja Declaration.

In her opening speech, the Minister of Health of Liberia, Dr Bernice T. Dahn acknowledged the leadership and collective efforts of the ECOWAS Commission and WAHO in '??working closely with the Ebola Virus Disease affected countries in tracking and monitoring the post-Ebola recovery process'??

The ECOWAS Post-Ebola Regional Technical Meeting brought together participants from the ECOWAS Commission, WAHO, ECOWAS Regional Center for Disease Control, representatives from the 15 ECOWAS member countries (from epidemiological surveillance and response, planning and finance), Technical and Financial partners (WHO, OIE, FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, USAID, World Bank, AfDB, US CDC, CCISD, African Union, French Cooperation, German Cooperation, Fondation Mérieux, CORDS, JICA, Mano River Union, IBD, University of Oslo) among others.

During the two-day technical meeting, experts will discuss the issue of Emergent Infectious Diseases; the status of implementation of the decisions of the Heads of State and Government on the prevention, detection and control of epidemics; Resource Mobilization and partnership at the regional level; and Strengthening health systems at country level. At the end of the meeting, the experts will propose a comprehensive report and a '??Monrovia Declaration'?? for adoption by the Heads of States at the High-Level Meeting on the third day.

The following are expected to attend the high-level meeting:
HE Madam the President of the Republic of Liberia, Chairperson of the Conference of ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments;
HE the President of Togolese Republic, ECOWAS Regional Coordinator for the Fight against Epidemics
HE Mr.the President of the ECOWAS Commission
Minister of Health of Guinea
Minister of Health of Liberia
Minister of Health of Sierra Leone
The Minister of Health of the Togolese Republic
Director General of WAHO
Commissioner in charge of Gender and Social Affairs
Commissioner in charge of Agriculture, Livestock and Environment

Article proposed by Harvey de Hardt-Kaffils
Communications Specialist, WAHO

Toutes les versions de cet article: [English] [français]