By ABUJAH RACHEAL

Health Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have adopted the Freetown Charter on maternal, newborn and child health, alongside a regional framework to accelerate malaria elimination.

Dr Melchior Athanase, Director-General, West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.

Athanase said that the decisions were reached at the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Health Ministers, which concluded on April 25 in Freetown.

He said that the ministers endorsed the Regional Framework for Malaria Elimination and committed to scaling up coordinated actions to tackle malaria as a major public health priority in the region.

He said that they also adopted the Freetown Charter, a strategic document aimed at accelerating the reduction of maternal, newborn and child mortality, while strengthening healthcare delivery systems across ECOWAS member states.

According to him, the assembly reaffirmed its commitment to advancing sustainable and resilient health financing, particularly in the face of declining external funding.

Athanase stressed the need for improved efficiency, stronger accountability mechanisms, and increased domestic resource mobilisation to sustain health gains and expand access to essential services.

He said that the ministers further reviewed the 2025 Annual Report of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO).

He noted progress made in key health indicators, while acknowledging persistent challenges affecting the performance and impact of health interventions in the region.

The Director-General said that they underscored the urgency of intensified regional collaboration to strengthen health systems, improve service delivery, and enhance preparedness for emerging health threats.

“The session ended with the adoption of a final report and official communiqué outlining key decisions, strategic directions, and commitments by member states, presented by a representative of Ghana’s Minister of Health, ” he said.

NAN reports that the health ministers, during the session, reviewed key 2025 recommendations, the Director-General’s report, and the regional malaria elimination framework.

Discussions emphasised the need for stronger coordination, sustainable financing, improved programme implementation, and increased local production of vaccines and medicines to enhance regional health security and reduce dependence on external support.(NAN)