The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has commenced the process of
establishing a Technical Advisory Council (TAC) as a key pillar for ensuring that the actions of the ECOWAS
Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC), are guided by scientific excellence and
global best practices in public health.
To this end, a two-day initial workshop began in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on Tuesday to review the
mandate and achievements of the RCSDC, discuss the epidemiological situation in ECOWAS,
and finalize the terms of reference, the internal regulations, and develop a clear and effective
action plan for the TAC.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Executive Director of the ECOWAS RCSDC, Dr.
Mamadou Diarrassouba, said the meeting was being held at a critical time when the region
continued to face numerous health challenges, exacerbated by factors such as climate
change, political-social tensions, and humanitarian crises.
He noted that the impact of these factors on the region’s health systems was considerable,
adding that as demonstrated by the Ebola outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic, the
repercussions of health threats could extend far beyond the health sector, disrupting
economic exchanges and livelihoods within West Africa and beyond.
According to Dr. Diarrassouba, the 2024 annual report of the ECOWAS-RCSDC highlighted the
identification of 67 new outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases within
ECOWAS, representing an increase of 31.37% compared to 2023.
He noted that it was in realization of the crucial of health issues in regional economic
integration that the 47th Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS
established the RCSDC, located in Abuja, Nigeria.
The mission of the RCSDC, a specialized autonomous agency placed under the umbrella of
the West African Health Organization (WAHO), is to support ECOWAS member states in
strengthening their capacities to conduct effective disease surveillance, prepare for and
respond to health emergencies, communicate risks, and improve their resilience to epidemic
shocks within the region.
By establishing the TAC, “we are taking a strategic step to strengthen the governance of the
agency, in line with the ECOWAS Regulation that defines the creation and operational
modalities of the RCSDC,” he said.
“The Regional Centre for Disease Surveillance and Control of ECOWAS reaffirms its
determination to accomplish its essential mission with rigor and efficiency, building on the
scientific guidance and informed recommendations of the TAC. With its close collaboration
with all stakeholders, the RCSDC is committed to implementing strategies to strengthen
prevention, detection, and response to health threats in our region,” Dr. Diarrassouba said.
In his speech, Nigeria’s Minister and Coordinator of Health and Social Welfare, Professor
Muhammad Ali PATE, noted that the TAC would be much more than a statutory body as “it
will be a dynamic forum for the exchange of scientific knowledge and technical expertise,”
adding that its membership would comprise distinguished regional and international experts
in public health who would play “an instrumental role in ensuring that the Centre’s
operations reflect the highest standards of scientific excellence and operational efficiency,
and providing strategic recommendations to the Executive Director and the Governing Board
of the RCSDC.”
The Minister, who was represented by the Director-General of Nigerian Centre for Disease
Control (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris, said the contributions of members of the TAC would be pivotal
in “pooling critical knowledge, ensuring that our regional strategies are responsive to
emerging threats, and fostering a culture of continuous innovation and collaboration across
the region.”
On his part, the Director of the West African Regional Coordination Centre of Africa CDC, Dr.
Kokou Alinon, noted that TAC was expected to be instrumental in supporting the ECOWAS
RCSDC to achieve its mandate.
He expressed the hope that members of the Council would provide strategic guidance,
technical expertise and support to the Regional Centre as they work together to strengthen
regional health security.
Other speakers at the occasion included the representative of the President of the ECOWAS
Commission, Dr. Oumar Alieu Touré; Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria to the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency, Mr. Musa SANI NUHU; representative of
the Director of the WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dr. Walter Mulombo and; representative of
the World Health Organization (WHO), among others.
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