The opening ceremony was attended by high-level dignitaries, including Her Excellency Mrs. Damtien Tchintchibidja, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission; Dr Melchior Athanase Joël Codjovi Aïssi, Director General of WAHO; Dr Kokou Wotobe, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene of the Togolese Republic, representing the substantive Minister Professor Tchin Darre; and Mr Diakaridia Traore, Representative of AFD and Lead of the Technical & Financial Partners Forum.
Speaking on behalf of the AFD and the TFPs Forum, Mr Diakaridia Traore highlighted the timeliness of the conference, stressing the urgent need to rethink health systems in light of recent global crises and persistent inequalities in access to care. He described community health as a strategic lever for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and strengthening the resilience of communities in the face of health, social and environmental challenges. He commended WAHO’s leadership in fostering inclusive dialogue and reaffirmed AFD’s long-term commitment to supporting national reforms grounded in equity, participation, human rights and multisectoral collaboration.
Dr Melchior Athanase Joël Codjovi Aïssi, the Director General of WAHO described the conference a key milestone in advancing a shared understanding of community health approaches.
He emphasised the central role of communities in shaping policy, the importance of harmonised strategies tailored to local contexts, and the need to build inclusive, fair, and locally adapted systems. He also acknowledged the contributions of past and present stakeholders and reiterated WAHO’s commitment to strengthening community-level public health.
Speaking on behalf of the Togolese government, Dr Kokou Wotobe, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene expressed gratitude for the choice of Lomé as host city and reaffirmed Togo’s commitment to strengthening community health – a cornerstone of resilient health systems. He referenced the national roadmap (2020–2025) aimed at achieving UHC, including a 2022 strategy to deploy trained community health workers in 90% of rural villages.
Mrs Damtien Tchintchibidja, the Vice-president of the ECOWAS Commission, reflected on the legacy of the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration, which laid the foundation for primary healthcare. She recognised both the progress made and the persistent challenges to its full implementation. Calling for more integrated and inclusive governance, she underscored the regional importance of community health and urged participants to build a strong consensus on shared standards and guiding principles for collective action.
This conference highlights the urgent need to reinforce community health systems to ensure accessible, equitable, and high-quality services for all. In the coming days, participants will work towards a regional framework for action. A final roadmap will consolidate outcomes and support the implementation of the consensus to accelerate progress towards UHC.