West African countries have renewed their commitment to malaria elimination, with calls for stronger regional cooperation, improved financing, and coordinated health strategies to tackle the disease across borders.
The push came during the 27th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Assembly of Health Ministers held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where health officials, experts, and development partners emphasized the need for a unified and data-driven response to malaria.
Stakeholders warned that fragmented programmes and inefficient resource use continue to slow progress in reducing the region’s malaria burden, despite years of interventions.
Organised by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), the meeting focused on strengthening regional health policies, operationalising community health frameworks, and adopting the Freetown Charter to guide future action.
Participants noted that malaria remains a leading cause of illness and death in West Africa, adding that weak coordination among countries has limited the impact of control measures.
The session also reviewed health performance across member states and aligned strategies aimed at improving decision-making and reinforcing health systems.
Ministers approved WAHO’s annual report, acknowledged progress in regional health security, and supported continued collaboration toward malaria elimination.
A major focus of discussions was the need to increase domestic funding for health systems, with stakeholders stressing that long-term sustainability cannot depend solely on external support.
WAHO Director-General, Melchior Aissi, described malaria elimination as both a health and security priority, noting that the region carries a significant share of the global disease burden.
He stressed that no single country can eliminate malaria independently due to the free movement of people and disease vectors across borders, calling for harmonised strategies and real-time data sharing.
Aissi also highlighted the importance of sustained political commitment, technical capacity, and domestic financing, warning that reliance on donor cycles could undermine progress.
He presented a regional framework built around improved governance, digital surveillance systems, targeted interventions, innovation, and stronger community involvement.
The framework encourages coordinated implementation across countries, continuous cross-border programmes, and shared epidemiological monitoring.
Partners supporting the initiative also called for stronger health systems, increased local funding, and better integration of data-driven approaches to improve efficiency.
They noted that malaria elimination efforts must move away from isolated interventions toward more integrated and coordinated planning across sectors.
The ministers further discussed broader health priorities, including financing, nutrition standards, and climate-related health risks, as part of a wider regional health agenda.
Officials reiterated that sustained collaboration between governments, development partners, and the private sector is essential to achieving long-term malaria reduction targets.
Health experts warned that without stronger coordination and investment, progress made in recent years could be reversed due to funding gaps, drug resistance, and climate-related challenges.
The session concluded with a renewed appeal for joint action, with stakeholders agreeing that only sustained regional cooperation can drive West Africa toward malaria elimination.