The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has launched the West Africa Regional Technical Advisory Committee (ReTAC).

The role of the ReTAC is to provide technical guidance and operational support for the West Africa Regional Coordinating Centre (WA RCC).

Herilinda Temba, the acting regional director of the West Africa Regional Coordinating Centre (WA RCC) under the Africa CDC, said this in a statement on Friday.

Ms Temba said the inauguration was a significant step towards enhancing regional collaboration and preparedness in combating public health emergencies.

She said the launch of West Africa ReTAC marked another key milestone towards full operationalisation of the RCC in West Africa.

Ms Temba said the initiatives were pivotal to driving the region’s preparedness and resilience against public health threats while fostering collaboration among member states, development partners, and regional health organisations.

“The meeting was attended by representatives from 11 of the 15 West Africa regional Member States, centres of excellence, regional institutions and selected health development partners.

“It marked a significant step towards bolstering public health coordination and response in West Africa,” she said.

On behalf of Africa CDC, she expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for hosting the event.

She highlighted the importance of the meeting, stating that the establishment of ReTAC will serve as a platform for accountability and technical guidance in shaping the operational framework of the West Africa RCC.

According to her, The ReTAC meeting aimed to strengthen regional health coordination and operationalise strategies to address emerging health challenges.

She said four out of five regional coordinating centres across Africa had already established ReTACs, with West Africa becoming the fifth.

“One of the key outcomes of the meeting was the election of The Gambia’s Permanent Secretary II of the Ministry of Health, Mrs Adama Drammeh, as the Chair of the inaugural ReTAC.

“Mr Domingos Veiga Varela from Cape Verde will serve as vice chair.

“It is an honour to lead this committee as we work together to implement a roadmap that will guide our region in addressing public health challenges,” She said.

With the formal establishment of ReTAC in the region, stakeholders expect a more efficient and timely approach to public health threats.

The next steps include operationalising the roadmap and tracking progress on the agreed-upon strategies.

(NAN)