Guinea-Bissau chosen to pilot ECOWAS community health policy

Guinea-Bissau has been selected as the pilot country for the implementation of the ECOWAS regional community health policy, with the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) commencing high-level discussions with the nation's leadership. The discussions began on Tuesday, August 18th, at the capital city of Bissau, with WAHO Director General Dr. Melchior Athanase Joël C. Aïssi leading a delegation of key officials.

The mission was aimed at garnering support for the policy's implementation across all ECOWAS member states, with Guinea-Bissau taking the lead in this pilot phase.

The delegation first met with the nation's Minister of Public Health, Commodore Dr. Quinhin Nantote, at the Ministry of Public Health. During this meeting, they discussed the country's priorities in community health and the institutional and technical requirements needed to put the regional policy into effect. Following this, the delegation met with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Amadu Uri Guissé, at the Government House/Ministry of Agriculture.

These discussions highlighted the importance of sectors beyond health in advancing community health, emphasizing the need for a wider government role in the policy's implementation.

WAHO's mission aims to encourage member states to take ownership of the regional policy and strengthen political commitment to its implementation. In Guinea-Bissau, this means engaging relevant sectors of the government in the process. The organization also intends to create the necessary conditions for the effective implementation of the policy.

On the second day of the mission, WAHO will officially hand over laboratory equipment to Guinea-Bissau's National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP), as part of a program that includes the opening of a workshop to discuss the nation's commitment to implementing the new Regional Community Health Policy. The workshop is scheduled to take place in Bissau from August 19th to 21st.

These ongoing engagements with various authorities of the Transitional Government are expected to continue on August 19th. By serving as the pilot country for the regional community health policy, Guinea-Bissau's experience is anticipated to contribute to the overall effort to advance the implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Community Health Policy across the wider region.