The Nigerian government, in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is calling for a stronger commitment to regional health security through policy reforms and enhanced collaboration.
This initiative comes as ECOWAS establishes a Technical Advisory Council (TAC) for the Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC). The goal is to improve disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and coordinated responses to public health threats in West Africa.
At the inaugural TAC workshop held in Abuja on Wednesday, stakeholders from the region, including public health experts, community leaders, and representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), gathered to discuss strategies for enhancing regional health resilience.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate emphasised the importance of cross-border cooperation in addressing emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. He spoke through the director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris, and noted that factors such as climate change, rapid urbanisation, humanitarian crises and systemic weaknesses have heightened the risk of disease outbreaks.
“Public health security is a regional imperative. Our collective experiences remind us that our resilience relies on the strength of our shared systems, mutual trust and our ability to take rapid, coordinated action,” he stated.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to transforming its health sector through initiatives such as the National Health Sector Renewal Initiative Programme (NHSRIP), the Health Workforce Migration Policy and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF)—all aimed at addressing workforce shortages and improving access to healthcare.
The executive director of the ECOWAS RCSDC, Dr. Mamadou Diarrassouba stressed the need to reinforce health systems in light of recent disease outbreaks. Represented by Dr. Sani Adamu, Diarrassouba pointed out that the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the necessity for robust surveillance and rapid response mechanisms.
In response to these challenges, the ECOWAS authority established the RCSDC to identify, assess, and respond to health threats. “To support this mandate, a Technical Advisory Council (TAC) has been created to provide scientific and technical guidance, ensuring that the centre’s programmes are evidence-based and aligned with regional and global health priorities,” he stated. He encouraged TAC members to collaborate, share expertise and equip the ECOWAS RCSDC with the latest technical knowledge to enhance the region’s health security.
Science Nigeria reports that Africa continues to face inadequate health infrastructure, shortages of skilled professionals and limited access to essential medical services. Although healthcare coverage has improved in some areas, many countries still grapple with fragile systems that cannot respond effectively to disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.
The region bears the highest global burden of public health crises, with over 100 major health emergencies reported annually. Recent outbreaks—including Ebola, Sudan Virus Disease (SVD), Marburg, Mpox, cholera, measles, yellow fever and meningitis—have further strained already overstretched healthcare systems. Concurrently, the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer is exacerbating the situation.
Recognising these challenges, African governments and regional bodies like ECOWAS have intensified efforts to strengthen health security. Collaborations with WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other global health partners continue to be vital in enhancing emergency response capabilities.
With stronger regional policies, increased health investments and improved disease surveillance, experts believe that West Africa can develop a more resilient and responsive health system capable of tackling future public health threats.
