The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has convened a strategic communication workshop to address persistent communication gaps hampering effective regional health advocacy.
The initiative, which was in preparation for the 2nd ECOWAS Lassa Fever International Conference scheduled for September 22–26, 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, according to WAHO, was informed by growing concerns that poor communication among stakeholders had led to delays and inefficiencies, particularly in activities related to the upcoming conference.
The organisation said the regional health advocacy workshop became imperative because of the burden of Lassa fever in the aub region, a viral hemorrhagic illness endemic to West Africa, with an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 cases and about 5,000 deaths annually.
Given this, WAHO stressed that the initiative was informed by growing concerns that poor communication among stakeholders had led to delays and inefficiencies, particularly in activities related to the upcoming conference.
The workshop, themed Bridging Communication Gaps for Effective Regional Health Advocacy, was designed to create a harmonised messaging approach, clarify roles and responsibilities, and develop a coordinated roadmap for health advocacy in West Africa.
The two-day strategic communication workshop, convened in Abuja by Prof. Melchior Athanase Joël C. AISSI-led WAHO, brought together communication focal points from key stakeholder groups to assess the current communication landscape, identify barriers to effective coordination, and develop a unified communications strategy for the upcoming conference and future regional health advocacy efforts.
The workshop highlighted the importance of effective communication in galvanising political will, enhancing preparedness, and coordinating regional responses to disease outbreaks.
Participants engaged in plenary sessions, breakout groups, and strategy-building exercises to develop practical, time-bound media engagement plans and shared calendars for the conference and future initiatives.
Key expected outcomes included a joint analysis of communication bottlenecks, development of a harmonised communications strategy, creation of an activity roadmap, and establishment of a clear communication structure across ECOWAS Member States.
Participants included representatives from the Coalition Secretariat Partners (CSP) such as Nigeria Health Watch, Bloomberg Public Health, and Corona Media Service; WAHO technical teams; ECOWAS Communication Directorate; and task force communication leads from countries affected by Lassa Fever, including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Benin, Togo, and host country Côte d’Ivoire.
Participants lauded the workshop as timely. Harold Thomas from Sierra Leone said it was crucial for advancing regional coordination on Lassa Fever, while Donni Dickson noted the need for an earlier intervention but praised the effort as a step in the right direction
