Ministers of Health from the Economic Community of West African States are considering adopting a binding regional charter to reduce maternal, child, and infant mortality across the sub-region.

The proposal is a key highlight of the 27th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Assembly of Health Ministers held on Tuesday in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Speaking ahead of the ministerial session, Sierra Leone’s health minister, Austin Demby, described the initiative as a bold step toward addressing one of the region’s most persistent public health challenges.

According to Mr Demby, the proposed charter focuses on technology-enabled and data-driven strategies to accelerate the reduction of maternal, child and infant deaths.

He also said that the meeting was being held at a critical time in the region when it is confronting shared health challenges, particularly maternal and child mortality.

He noted that the charter had received the endorsement of the director-general of the West African Health Organisation, which would be presented to member states for consideration during the ministerial deliberations.

”We hope that it becomes a binding regional commitment that will guide measurable progress and strengthen accountability across West Africa,” he said.

He said Sierra Leone was hosting the high-level meeting for the first time in 15 years, with about 500 delegates, including ministers, technical experts, and development partners, expected to participate.

Melchior Aïssi, director general of WAHO, restated that the assembly was the region’s highest decision-making body on health, providing a platform for harmonising policies and strengthening cooperation among member states.

Mr Aïssi stressed the need for collective action in addressing cross-border health challenges, noting that no country could tackle them in isolation.

The WAHO boss added that the meeting would also focus on other priority health issues, including malaria elimination, which had continued to pose a significant burden on the region, particularly among children and pregnant women.

(NAN)