West Africa: Introducing Water

5 February 2015
Open Society Initiative for West Africa (Dakar)
press release

What is WATER?

The West African Taskforce for the Control of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (WATER) is a virtual multidisciplinary group of experts that will promote and engage in activities aimed at addressing emerging and re-emerging infectious disease control in West Africa.

It is the result of a convening of West African scientists and other opinion leaders organized by OSIWA and OSF's Public Health Program in Dakar on 21st and 22nd November 2014.

Its main focus is to provide a West African voice and leadership on the prevention and control of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. What does WATER do?

The Taskforce's objectives are:

To support the effective use of available health system resources.

To improve West African countries' capabilities in terms of outbreak preparedness and response.

To establish sustainable community engagement in outbreak preparedness and response.

To improve the West African legal and regulatory framework for health research in the-decision making process on such complex emergencies.

To meaningfully engage key decision makers at local, national, regional and international levels in relevant initiatives.

To develop a research capacity strengthening and knowledge management strategy in the prevention and control of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

WATER intends to achieve its objectives by implementing various activities including capacity building activities for national and regional bodies, creating a scientific network between African researchers, providing technical assistance to governments in the region, strengthening research capacity in the region and promoting community involvement and partnership in outbreak preparedness and response.

What are WATER's intervention domains (IDs)?

WATER has six domains of intervention: Health System Strengthening, Outbreak preparedness and response, Community Engagement, Bioethics, Communication and advocacy and Research capacity strengthening

What is the composition of WATER?

1. Core Management Group

Prof. Souleymane Mboup (President)

Dr. Sanie Sesay (Coordinator)

Dr. John Amuasi (ID Lead)

Dr. David Houeto (ID Lead)

Prof. Mireille Prince David (ID Lead)

OSIWA

2. Secretariat - Housed in OSIWA's office in Dakar 3. Multidisciplinary experts

For more information on WATER, please contact Dr. Sanie Sesay Sanie.Sesay@lstmed.ac.uk or Anael Ngando abngando@osiwa.org

Read the original article on OSIWA.

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