The West African Health Organization (WAHO)
From TrustAfrica wiki - African Regional Organizations
West African Health Organization
01 BP 153 Bobo-Dioulasso 01
BURKINA FASO
Tel: (226) 20 97 57 72
(226) 20 97 57 75
Fax: (226) 20 97 57 72
Email: wahooas@fasonet.bf
Website: http://www.wahooas.org
Professor Moussa Maiga, Deputy Director General
Description
The West African Health Organization (WAHO) was formed in 1987 after Heads of State and Government from all the fifteen countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted the Protocol creating the organization. The Protocol, granted WAHO the Specialized Agency of ECOWAS status. It serves ECOWAS Member States, that is, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
WAHO’s objective is attainment of the highest possible standard and protection of health of the peoples in the sub-region through the harmonization of the policies of the Member States, pooling of resources, and cooperation with one another and with others for a collective and strategic combat against the health problems of the sub-region. As a specialized agency of ECOWAS, WAHO is composed of several decision-making bodies which include the authority of heads of state and government of member states that is responsible for the general direction and control of the community and which takes all measures to ensure its progressive development and the realization of its objectives; the council of ministers, a rotating panel of ministers from ECOWAS member states that can include ministers of integration, economic planning and finance, and foreign affairs; and the Assembly of Health Ministers that is limited to matters of health, and more particularly to the technical aspects therein.
Track Record
WAHO has supported West African neighbors Benin, Nigeria and Ghana to harmonize the process of producing the HIV/AIDS drugs for the sub-region, where the drugs are currently being imported. It has also developed a consensual document through different levels of consultations among key stakeholders involved with the ECOWAS Nutrition Forum which contributed to a reduction in malnutrition through the implementation of the identified priority strategies in a concerted and efficient manner in West African countries.
The organization in concert with all ECOWAS Member States and in collaboration with all its Partners was involved in blindness prevention and took several measures specifically in the area of coordination. They created a Forum for discussion, exchange of views and sharing experience on VISION 2020 for West Africa, known as ADVOCACY FORUM FOR VISION 2020 IN WEST AFRICA
In collaboration with the University of Marseille, France, and IOTA (l’Institut d’Ophthalmologie tropicale de l’Afrique) in Mali, and with the support of its partners, WAHO organizes a training of trainers in sutureless IOL cataract surgery for Francophone ophthalmologists. At the third session, ten ophthalmologists from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger and Togo participated in the session. With the three sessions, around thirty Francophone ophthalmologists in West Africa have been trained in this technique, which is an alternative solution to the many difficulties faced by cataract surgeons in our countries. Some of the trainers from Mali and Senegal, trained during the first session three years ago, attended the session as trainers in order to upgrade their skills with a view to taking over as local human resource for the training. A training session had been organized in 2005 for Anglophone ophthalmologists in Nigeria.
