The West African Health Sector Unions Network (WAHSUN) on Wednesday began a two-day Bi-annual conference in Abuja on the theme: “The COVID-19 Pandemic; Lessons for the Future.”
Declaring the event open, Ayuba Wabba, chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) thanked public health workers for their role in containing the pandemic despite limited resources.
Wabba said the pandemic underscores the need for leaders in the sub-region to invest in the provision of strong public health services because quality health care is the universal right of every citizen.
The labour leaders said the region must develop the capacity to produce vaccines and reduce dependence on foreign countries. He opined that in most cases, only vaccines on the verge of expiration are shipped to the continent. He lamented that only three countries in Africa; South Africa, Kenya and Senegal are making headway in producing indigenous vaccines.
Wabba said West African leaders must begin the process of deploying technology in the healthcare sector, invest in healthcare providers and engage in research and development to make any meaningful progress in quality healthcare provision.
Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the conference, Sani Baba Muhammed, Public Service International (PSI) Regional Secretary for West Africa and Arab countries said African leaders failed in their responsibility of providing adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for health care workers and first responders fighting the pandemic. He lamented that African countries have not devoted at least 15% of their national budget to the health care sector in line with the Abuja declaration.
WAHSUN Chairperson, Comrade Perpetua Ofori-Ampofo in her remarks said the conference is significant because it will avail health sector unions the opportunity to discuss the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and strategize for the future.
She said WAHSUN will use the opportunity of the conference to call on leaders in the sub-region to increase funding for the health sector so that the region can be better equipped for future pandemics.
The two-day conference is expected to provide a communique that will chart a course of action in providing better healthcare delivery in the sub-region.
