The Africa CDC, the Government of Nigeria, and other member states have reaffirmed their commitment to creating a harmonised, coordinated public health emergency preparedness and response platform across West Africa.
They expressed this commitment during the West Africa Regional Review and Coordination Meeting (RCC), organized by Africa CDC in partnership with other organisations. The meeting’s theme was “Strengthening Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacities in West Africa.”
Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, stated, “I wish to reaffirm Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to advancing health security in West Africa. No Member State can stand alone. Our strength lies in shared surveillance, shared information, shared expertise, shared responsibility.”
He urged all West African nations to maintain unity, strengthen coordination frameworks, and deepen technical collaboration.
Salako highlighted Nigeria’s strong support for the Africa CDC’s Five-Pillar Health Security Agenda, the African Epidemic Fund (AfEF), the ongoing development of the Regional Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) Coordination Platform, and the broader goal of an Africa that leads its own health priorities and influences global health governance reforms.
He mentioned that the meeting aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health-sector transformation agenda, as Nigeria’s health reform priorities echo the goals that Africa CDC and ECOWAS are promoting across the region.
This includes enhancing emergency preparedness and response, modernising public health intelligence and surveillance, expanding laboratory and diagnostic capacity, promoting local manufacturing, and asserting health security sovereignty, among other initiatives.
He emphasized that recent crises remind everyone that the region’s health security depends on how well we prepare before the next emergency.
He urged, “Let us therefore strengthen solidarity, reduce fragmentation, coordinate as one region, and protect our 355 million citizens with systems that are strong, united, and sustainable.”
The minister also praised Dr. Alinon Kokou for completing a significant year in office, noting his leadership and active engagement with 14 out of 15 Member States as evidence of a new era of responsive, respectful, and inclusive regional cooperation.
He added, “Hosting this first annual review meeting under your leadership marks an important milestone for the region, and Nigeria is proud to host this gathering.”
Dr. Alinon Kokou, Regional Director of Africa CDC’s West Africa Regional Coordinating Centre (RCC), stated that the region continues to face outbreaks, disasters, and health threats that challenge systems daily.
“But we have proven, time and time again, that collaboration is our greatest strength. The work we do here is not administrative; it is lifesaving. It is about ensuring that the 355 million people of West Africa can live healthier, safer, and more dignified lives,” he said.
He explained that national directors of laboratory services, surveillance, and emergency operations centres (EOCs) from all 15 West African Member States, along with public health leaders, discussed their achievements, shared their vision, and planned activities for 2026.
While thanking Nigeria for supporting the RCC, he mentioned that during the four-day meeting, member states would present progress reports on their national public health institutes.