Ladies and Gentlemen, People of the ECOWAS region,
Esteemed partners in regional health,
On this 9th of July 2025, our Organisation, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), marks 38 years of unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of the populations of West Africa.
Established in 1987 by Protocol A/P2/7/87 signed in Abuja by the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, WAHO was entrusted with a strong political mandate: to coordinate regional health policies and to strengthen cooperation among Member States in order to deliver a collective and sustainable response to the health challenges facing our sub-region.
From our headquarters in Bobo-Dioulasso, we have, over the decades, worked with determination to harmonise health policies, build national capacity, prevent epidemics, improve access to essential healthcare, and promote the local production of medicines and vaccines. More recently, we have also championed a community-based approach to health.
Driven by the ECOWAS of the people agenda, we have embedded our work within an integrated, equitable and inclusive vision that places health at the heart of human development.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Among the key milestones of this past year, I wish to highlight the adoption, in May 2025, of the Regional Community Health Policy. Born out of extensive consultations with our partners and Member States, this policy represents a bold paradigm shift: the structured coverage of all households through well-trained community health workers, operating within a multisectoral system focused on prevention, health promotion, and community-based surveillance.
This vision is grounded in the commitments of the Lomé Declaration of 4 April 2025, which reaffirmed that community health must become the cornerstone of inclusive, resilient and sustainable health systems. It calls for greater mobilisation of domestic resources, active community engagement, and accountability from all stakeholders.
People of ECOWAS,
As we celebrate this anniversary, I wish to commend the outstanding work carried out through flagship projects such as SWEDD+, which promotes women’s empowerment and harnesses the demographic dividend in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Health Security Programme (HeSP), implemented with support from the World Bank and other partners. These initiatives strengthen our collective capacity to reduce gender inequalities, address demographic challenges, and detect, prevent and respond to health threats, while also investing in human capital and transforming health systems.
Finally, I reiterate my call for collective action. As I have often said: “We must take ownership of our people’s health and make a real and lasting impact.”
To all our partners, Member States, health professionals and communities, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your trust and dedication.
Together, let us continue to make WAHO a driving force for regional health integration and a catalyst for a healthier West Africa.
Je vous remercie !
Thank you!
Obrigado!