By Odimegwa JohnPeters/Charles Ogili, Conakry, Guinea
The ECOWAS Parliament Joint Committee recently concluded its delocalized meeting in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, focusing on promoting health services and education in West Africa.
“The overall objective of this meeting is to raise awareness among MPs on health services and education, enabling them to make a significant contribution to health policy promotion in ECOWAS member states,” said a spokesperson for the ECOWAS Parliament.
During the meeting, committee members acknowledged progress and challenges in promoting health services and education in West Africa. They emphasized the need for parliamentarians to actively engage in national health and education policy programs.
“We must become actively involved in our country’s national health and education policy programs,” said a committee member. “We need to undertake awareness-raising, education, and information campaigns for the benefit of the local population, particularly in rural areas.”
The Joint Committee proposed measures to support health promotion policies, innovative financing, capacity building, and incorporating community provisions into national legislation.
“We need to allocate community budgets to health in line with the Abuja Declaration commitments,” said another committee member. “We must also promote health education as a fundamental right for all social groups.”
The ECOWAS Parliament aims to contribute to behavior change communications to promote health and education among the population and communities.