Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has charged member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to do more in tackling health emergencies.
Speaking before declaring open the 18th assembly of health ministers in Abuja on Friday, the acting president called for concerted effort in tackling diseases like malaria and tuberculosis of which the region has a high burden.
He also said that the region must be very responsive to emergencies.
He said Nigeria was committed to ensuring that the Regional Centre for Disease Control (CDC) established by West Africa Health Organisation in Abuja took off before the end of year.
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“It is a great challenge to improve the health of our people,” he said while asking member states to do more in terms of funding so as to confront health emergencies.
Delivering an address of welcome, Isaac Adewole, minister of health, emphasised the need for the region to invest more in research that could guarantee adequate and reliable data necessary for policy formulation on health issues in West Africa.
He also urged member states to focus on controlling tobacco, saying efforts should be geared towards controlling sale of cigarettes in the region for the overall benefit of “our people”.
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Also speaking, Mustafa Mijiyawa, chairman of the assembly of health ministers and health minister of Togo, said the assembly would consider and review health situation in the region and take decisions to ensure improved health.
He said assembly would adopt the ‘one health’ approach in combating diseases and outbreak of epidemics in the region.
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