FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Mamadou Dem
10 July 2009
The West African Health Organization (WAHO) was commemorated on Thursday 9th July at the ministry of health in Banjul, on the theme "Epidemic control a challenge for ECOWAS countries".
Speaking at the opening ceremony the Deputy Permanent Secretary and the Focal Person at the ministry Mr. Sainey Suso said WAHO is an acronym for West Africa Health organization. He further said it is a specialized agency of ECOWAS with headquarters in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. He went further to mention the organs that governs the organization, such as the authority of head of states and government of ECOWAS, which he said is the supreme decision-making body of ECOWAS and WAHO. He said other organs of the organization are the ECOWAS Council of Ministers which makes recommendations to the authority of ECOWAS and any action aimed at attaining the objective of the community. He concluded by saying that the objective of WAHO are to study and promote research on the major endemic diseases of the sub region and under take activities aimed at eradicating them; to promote the training of past graduate health professionals, where necessary and as well as to sponsor the training of under graduates. It also aims at sharing information on technical, epidemiological research and training to name a few.
Mr. Sanna Sambou the Manager of Disease Control (EDC) in his remarks said the West Africa sub-region with a population of 260 million inhabitants is scientifically characterized by ecologically diverse features, epidemiologically unified making it a conundrum for outbreaks of epidemic potential diseases with high morbidity and case fatality rates.
He went further to say the majority of these diseases are endemic and responsible for yearly and seasonal epidemic out breaks causing many preventable deaths. He said despite the progress made in fitting to control, eliminate and indicate many of these infections, the sub-region including the Gambia still remains very vulnerable to a wide range of new and resurgent organisms.
He further said the recent concern about bio-terrorism have actually focused new attention on eradication of rare diseases such as small pox and anthrax, and prompted the formation of WAHO in 1987, which started operating in 2000 with a main objective of attaining highest possible standards and protection of the health of the people of the sub region.
Alpha Jallow a representative from World Health Organization (WHO) said the WHO is a specialized agency responsible for health with the UN system. He further said the World is grappling with pandemic H1N1, which has so far infected 94, 512 people worldwide with 429 deaths. He said it has been confirmed many cases of the disease by several African Countries but so far no deaths. He said in our sub-region Cape Verde, Ivory Coast and Algeria have all reported confirmed cases. In addition he said an effort to fulfill its role as UN agency in health and also respond to global threats pushed by this pandemic H1N1, the organization has provided emergency stocks of tamiflu and personal protective equipment (PPE) to all its member states in the African Region. Other speakers include Bakai Camara who read the message from the Director General.
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