The federal government and the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening risk communication and community engagement to improve regional health security across West Africa.

The commitment was made on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening of a three-day regional capacity-building workshop on Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), organised to strengthen regional preparedness and emergency response systems.

Speaking at the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said infectious diseases ignore national borders, making coordinated preparedness, trusted communication and active community participation essential across the ECOWAS region.

Mr Pate, represented by Tochi Okwor, Head of the Department of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), said effective surveillance requires public trust and transparent communication.

According to him, surveillance and laboratory systems become more effective when supported by transparent communication, public trust and active community participation during health emergencies across Member States.

The minister commended the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control for harmonising surveillance systems and strengthening cross-border disease prevention and control efforts throughout the West African sub-region.

Mr Pate described the workshop as timely in view of ongoing Ebola outbreaks in neighbouring African countries, stressing the need for stronger preparedness and coordinated regional responses to emerging public health threats.

He also acknowledged the support of the ECOWAS-RCSDC, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and other development partners in strengthening Nigeria’s emergency preparedness through sustained collaboration and capacity-building initiatives.

Mr Pate highlighted the recently inaugurated national Ebola preparedness webinar series, noting that it enhanced the capacity of frontline health workers while encouraging knowledge-sharing and stronger collaboration among public health professionals nationwide.

According to him, the collaboration promotes one health communication, coordinated risk messaging and stronger technical working groups, while community-led rumour management remains essential for tackling misinformation during disease outbreaks.

He said community engagement reflected Africa’s long-standing tradition of collective leadership and shared responsibility, urging participants to address existing gaps and develop a sustainable RCCE roadmap for 2026–2027.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of the ECOWAS-RCSDC, Mamadou Diarrassouba, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to strengthening risk communication and community engagement across West Africa through sustained regional collaboration.

Mr Diarrassouba, represented by the Head of Communication and RCCE Focal Point at the ECOWAS-RCSDC under the West African Health Organization (WAHO), Babacar Fall, said community trust remains the foundation of effective emergency response.

He commended the federal government for hosting the workshop and welcomed delegates from ECOWAS member states, development partners and technical institutions participating in the regional capacity-building programme.

Mr Diarrassouba warned that misinformation and rumours often spread faster than disease outbreaks, making effective risk communication indispensable for protecting lives and strengthening regional preparedness during public health emergencies.

According to him, ongoing Ebola outbreaks and other emerging health threats require well-funded, coordinated and operational RCCE systems, adding that the workshop aligns with the ECOWAS 2026 Action Plan and One Health Strategy.

Participants will assess Ebola preparedness, review national RCCE capacities and exchange practical experiences to strengthen emergency communication across ECOWAS Member States.

They are also expected to identify operational gaps and strengthen social listening, rumour management and community engagement, while promoting the inclusion of vulnerable populations in public health emergency preparedness and response.

Participants will review implementation of the RCCE Strategic Plan, update the regional roadmap for 2026–2027 and revise the regional network’s terms of reference to strengthen accountability and collaboration.

The workshop will also review the achievements of the outgoing RCCE leadership, elect a new executive committee and harmonise RCCE tools to deepen institutional capacity and cross-border cooperation against public health threats.

(NAN)