Human Security: ECOWAS Host Regional Workshop to Strengthen Early Warning and Health Surveillance.
By Raymond Enoch
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has officially launched a regional workshop in Abuja aimed at enhancing human security across West Africa through coordinated health surveillance and early warning systems.
The workshop, which commenced on Wednesday, is jointly organized by the ECOWAS Early Warning Directorate (EWD) and the ECOWAS Regional Center for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC). It brings together health analysts from National Early Warning Centers across ECOWAS member states.
At the heart of the five-day workshop is the mission to strengthen the region’s ability to detect, report, and respond swiftly to public health threats, with a focus on enhancing epidemic surveillance and improving data communication across national and regional platforms.
According to organizers, the workshop is designed to:Improve the sharing and communication of epidemiological data to boost epidemic surveillance capabilities;
Equip participants with hands-on skills for the early detection of critical public health events and other human security risks;
Facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices in early warning systems;and to tackle challenges related to disease surveillance and health system resilience within the ECOWAS context
The workshop is to also
review and enhance the data sources used for health indicators within the ECOWAS Early Warning and Response Network (ECOWARN).
The initiative is part of ECOWAS’s broader strategy to promote regional stability and safeguard communities against health-related crises, which have increasingly posed cross-border threats to peace and development.
Participants are expected to return to their respective countries with actionable strategies to improve national early warning systems, while contributing to a stronger, more integrated ECOWARN network.
