I N T H I S I S S u eI N T H I S I S S u e

WAHO resumes 2013 activities with a focus on wider access

to HIV treatment

Partnership:Key Deliverables Completed as WA-LEAD Project Winds Up

Young Professionals Internship Program (YPIP)

Induction Training of the 9th Batch.

quarterly

electroNic editioNN° 000 JaNuary - March 2013

Editor-in-Chief: Director General of WAHO: Dr Placido M. CARDOSO Technical Coordinator: DDG/WAHO assisted by D/DRHIS and D/DPTA

Editors: Kayode EGBELEYE , Moctar TRAORE Editing: Moctar TRAORE Proofreading / Correction: Dr KAMBOU Stanislas, Mr Zouma Salifou

Dr BRITO Carlos, Dr Kofi BUSIA Translation: Waholingua Electronic Dissemination: ZONGO Mahamadi

Contact: wahooas@wahooas.org / Site Web: www.wahooas.org

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E d i t o r ’ s N o t e

N°000 JANVIER - MARS 2013N°000 JANVIER - MARS 2013

WAHO is pleased to share with you

this maiden issue of our Newsletter

for the year 2013

“Share it!” This phrase sums up our ambition in gene-

ral and particularly in the disseminating information,

because it is on this basis that we can share successes

and challenges in the health sector in the ECOWAS

region and learn from each other.

Our organization remains committed to improving

health and positively changing the lives of people in

the ECOWAS region. With our key focus on regional

integration, we are working closely with the public and private sectors in ECOWAS

Member States, and also key partners in the region to address key issues which are

impediments to good health and nutrition.

From this point of view, our Newsletter is one of the available means through which

we would regularly provide useful information on important developments in the

health, nutrition and related sectors within our region and promote better understan-

ding of our institution’s mission and activities at national, regional and international

levels.

It is my fervent hope this Newsletter will be sustained through regular and rich contri-

butions from ECOWAS Member States, health experts from within and outside

WAHO, and our numerous partners.

Please feel free to share this Newsletter. We would also appreciate your comments,

suggestions and contribution to future quarterly editions.

Dr Plácido M. CARDOSO

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2013 WAHO Official Resumption of Activities

The West African Health

Organisation (WAHO) has

officially resumed its 2013

activities with an official ceremony

held on 16 January 2013. The cere-

mony was which was chaired by the

Governor of the Upper Basin Region

of Burkina Faso, Nebilma Joseph

Bakouan, was also attended by staff

members of the institution, several

guests with the participation via Visio

conference of Sra Dra Maria Cristina

Fontes LIMA, the Minister of Health

of Cape Verde Dr. Sylvester

Anemana, the Chief Director of

Administrative Services at the Ghana

Ministry of Health, Dr. Yaw Adu

Gyamfi, Executive Director of

DANADAMS Pharmaceutical

Company, Accra, Ghana, Mr.

Mamadou Diallo, UNAIDS Regional

Director, Dakar, Senegal.

The professional resumption ceremo-

ny was intended to take stock of acti-

vities carried out in 2012 and share

with partners perspectives for the

coming twelve months. It was also an

opportunity to promote a central

theme and moreover to strengthen

WAHO’s visibility.

The theme for 2013 is “Fight against

HIV/AIDS and Sustainable

Development: The Contribution of

the Private Sector to the Local

Production of Anti-Retroviral (ARVs)

“

In his welcome address, WAHO’s

Director General, Dr. Plácido

Cardoso, observed that despite all the

efforts made to prevent and contain

the outbreak of epidemics including

HIV/AIDS in the ECOWAS region,

the health situation of the population

remained fragile in 2012.

He deplored the absence of common

health policies and norms, and conti-

nued armed conflicts which have

negatively impacted the quality of

health care to communities and espe-

cially people affected by HIV. He said

“Even when we are yet to find lasting

solutions to these, we still need to

develop initiatives to promote harmo-

nized health policies and explore

innovative options that will enable the

region to achieve better health for all

and guarantee sustainable human

development”

Dr. Placido Cardoso reiterated the

institution’s commitment to conti-

nuously playing a key role in the pur-

suit of the highest possible level of

health for the people of West Africa. «

The achievement of this ideal will

depend on strengthening the joint

efforts of Member States, the ECO-

WAS Commission as well as Technical

and Financial Partners » he concluded.

In his presentation, the Professional

Officer in charge of HIV/AIDS, Dr.

Carlos Brito gave an overview of the

epidemiological situation of

HIV/AIDS in the ECOWAS region

where HIV prevalence rates in 2011

fluctuated between 0.7 % and 3.9 %

with Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Ghana

being the most affected.

Dr. Brito said that as at 2011, more

than 2,000,000 people in the ECO-

WAS region were in need of Anti

retroviral therapy. He opined that

relying on imported medicine makes it

nearly impossible to

offer access to HIV

treatment to the

increasing West

African population

who currently need it.

According to Dr

Brito, the local pro-

duction of Anti-

Retroviral (ARVs)

drugs locally in the

region would drive

down costs and

increase access to

treatment thus hel-

ping to address the

problem of frequent

ARVs stock-outs in

the region.

In 2010, the WAHO supported

DANADAMS Pharmaceutical

Company in Accra, Ghana and

EVANS Pharmaceutical Company in

Lagos Nigeria to produces antiretrovi-

ral drugs for the benefit of the

Gambia, Togo and Benin.

In closing the ceremony, the

Governor of the Upper Basin Region

Mr. Joseph Nebilma Bakouan praised

WAHO’s efforts and hoped that this

fifth resumption ceremony which

marks the official launch of 2013 acti-

vities will further strengthen the insti-

tution’s comparative advantage in

West African countries.

Special Focus on Wider Access to Anti retrovial Treatment

From Left : WAHO’s Director-General, Dr. Placido

Cardoso, Governor of Hauts Bassins, M. Nebilma Joseph

Bakouan and WAHO’s Deputy Director General, Dr.

Jeanetta K. Johnson at the ceremony.

Young Professionals Internship Programme (YPIP)

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Nearly a month after the official passing

out of interns of the Eighth set, the

ninth batch of participants in the young

professionals internship program (YPIP) started

their induction with an orientation meeting that

took place at WAHO’s Guest House (Centre d’ac-

cueil de l’OOAS) on January 23, 2013.

The meeting which officially marks the starting

point of a year-long learning process was

presided over by the Deputy Director General of

WAHO in the presence of officials of the Division

of Human Resources for Health Development and

staff of the institution.

The Young Professionals Internship Program that

began in 2005, as a joint initiative of WAHO and its

partners (USAID/AWARE), aiming to contribute to

capacity building in the region through the training

of young professionals from ECOWAS Member

States. It focuses primarily on promoting training in

specific technical areas, the development of skills

transfer, involvement of the Ministries of Health

and Education, the use of sub-regional Centres of

Excellence and vocational integration of students

and trainees.

The Deputy Director General of WAHO at the

orientation meeting of the 9th batch of YPIP.

The training should also enable them to exercise

proper understanding of Leadership and

Management Principles in the sub-region and a have

a good kno- wledge of Administration and National

Health programs. Eventually, the training will fur-

ther strengthen their skills in their basic vocational

training and promote the skills of mentors from

participating Regional Organizations and Institutes.

This ninth set of YPIPs is composed of 15 students

from the 15 ECOWAS countries. Admitted after a

rigorous selection process, the training will last

twelve months divided into six stages and

cover topics of importance chosen according

to the needs of the West African region. These

areas relate to primary health care and disease

control, development of human resources,

planning and technical assistance, health mana-

gement, reproductive health and family plan-

ning, HIV-AIDS, principles of organizational

administration, etc.

These courses are designed to provide the trai-

nees with practical skills and experience for a

sustainable management of health problems in

the sub-region. During this period, the theore-

tical training received by beneficiaries is com-

plemented by hands- on field projects and

internships in partner institutions. The orientation

meeting organised for them was an opportunity for

the trainees to acquaint themselves with WAHO’s

staff and programs and to better understand the

training conditions.

The Deputy Director General, who chaired the mee-

ting congratulated all the successful interns selected

from a myriad of applicants. She then encouraged

them to be the ambassadors of their respective

countries and of WAHO in whichever country they

are assigned to. She thanked the trainers for their

valuable contributions to the development of

human resources for health in the ECOWAS region

and commended the efforts of partners, especially

the host institutions that will receive the interns at

the end of March 2013.

As a reminder, on December 14, 2012, the sixteen

interns from the 15 ECOWAS countries, making up

the eighth set of YPIP, were awarded their certifica-

te of completion after a year of internship. Between

2005 and 2012, the Young Professionals internship

program has trained a total of 103 health professio-

nals from 15 countries of ECOWAS.

The participants during the induction workshop

of the 9th batch of YPIP

WAHO remains committed to the quality of human resources in

public health management in West Africa

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Partnership

The Management Sciences for Health

(MSH) implemented West African

Leadership and Management

Strengthening (WA-LEAD) project wound

up on February 20, 2013.

Launched on July 30, 2010, The USAID funded

project was designed to strengthen WAHO’s

capacity to play its role as the leading regional

health institution in the ECOWAS region.

Initially scheduled to end on July 29, 2012, the

project was extended for an extra seven month

period with no additional cost.

The project specifically supported the develop-

ment of a regional Health Information Systems

policy document which was adopted by ECO-

WAS Health Ministers, strengthened the leaders-

hip and management capacity of WAHO and

national HIS programme coordinator, as well as

strengthened the institutional capacity of

WAHO to pursue advocacy and communication

activities.

The end-of project ceremony chaired by

WAHO’s Deputy Director General, Dr. Jeanetta

K. Johnson was attended by MSH Senior Project

Officer, Carey Johnson, WAHO Directors of

Programmes and other staff members. In her

opening address, Dr. Johnson thanked USAID

for its support and MSH/WALEAD project

staff for their dedication which culminated in

key project deliverables. As the projects ends,

WAHO looks forward to further collaboration

with MSH and USAID”. MSH Senior Technical

Advisor for Institutional Capacity Building,

Madam Letitia Sam presented the key milestones

of the project to an appreciative audience.

In recognition of the project staff commitment

to delivering the project outputs, WAHO staff

members led by the Organisation’s Director

General, Dr. Placido Cardoso attended a closing

ceremony on February 28, 2013. During the

ceremony WAHO’s gratitude was officially

expressed. The ceremony ended with the official

hand-over of the Advocacy and Communication

Strategy documents.

Key Deliverables Completed as WA-LEAD Project Winds Up

Dr Placido Cardoso, WAHO Director General (right) recei-

ving project documents from Letitia Sam MSH Technical

Advisor for Institutional Capacity Building during the

Ceremony

MSH Project Assistant, Maimouna Konate (right) being

decorated with a pin by WAHO Administrator, Madam

Amoukou Lailassa during the project close-out ceremony.

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Working Visit

On 12 March, 2013, a three-man del-

egation from the ECOWAS

Commission paid a one-day work-

ing visit to WAHO Headquarters in Bobo-

Dioulasso.

The purpose of the meeting was to apprise

WAHO staff members of the progress being

made towards the conceptualization of a har-

monized regional strategic approach from

which all ECOWAS institutions will fashion out

their future individual strategic plans.

During the question and answer session which

followed the presentation, WAHO staff mem-

bers expressed their concerns on policy and

strategy directions, financing of the process,

collection of inputs from the planning units of

other ECOWAS institutions and reorganization

of ECOWAS.

Mr. Essien addressed these concerns and

thanked WAHO for considering putting in

place a two-year Strategic Bridging Plan that

will enable the organisation to align with the

current process.

Aworking session between WAHO

and SISDAK delegation was held on

March 20, 2013 at WAHO

Headquarters.

In her introductory remarks, Dr. Benjamin wel-

comed the delegation and expressed the hope

that the meeting will culminate in defining a

clearer role of WAHO as one of SISDAK's

sponsor.

SISDAK Project Manager, Mrs. Rokhaya Diop

thanked WAHO for the warm welcome and its

readiness to host the meeting.

SISDAK's mission to WAHO was also intended

to solicit WAHO's participation in the 5th edi-

tion of the trade fair scheduled to be held from

27 to 30 June 2013, at the Public Health

Pavilion.

At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that

WAHO's participation in the next edition of

SISDAK should be subject to further discus-

sion.

A focal point in WAHO would be appointed to

monitor the evolution of SISDAK from a

national to a regional event given the consider-

ation that SISDAK is a potential "Best prac-

tice" to be promoted in our region.

ECOWAS Commiss ion Repre sentat ives (l ef t ) and the SISDAK de lega tion during i t s v i si t to WAHO

Consultation between WAHO and ECOWAS and a SISDAK-MSAS delegation