Four West African countries promote health care delivery

Accra, Nov. 28, GNA - Four English speaking West African health sector trade unions of Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone have established a network to collectively promote quality health service delivery systems within the sub-region.

The new body, the West African Health Sector Trade Unions Network (WAHSUN), was formed in Abuja, Nigeria a week ago after a two-day meeting by the constituent unions with observers from Tanzania and the Public Services International (PSI) Africa and the Arab Countries Regional Secretariat.


A communiqu=E9 of the meeting released by the Ghana Health Services Workers' Union (HSWU) in Accra on Tuesday explained that the delegates took the decision after extensive discussions on the health systems of the countries in the sub-region, which called for concerted efforts from all well meaning inhabitants of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS).


The delegates attributed the state of affairs to various factors especially lack of people focused approach to policies and implementation, which had further been worsened by alarming poor working conditions and wages that had impacted negatively on their output in health care delivery ultimately.


Deploring the impact of trained migrant health personnel from the sub-region, the delegates called for equitable remuneration to curb the trend.

The network proposed that as a commitment to their desire for universal access to health care in the sub-region, it would organise a "Campaign for Quality Health for all West Africans " on April 7, next year with rallies and processions in the national capitals of ECOWAS member states.


Covering more than 200,000 members in the sub-region, the network has pledged to engage governments of members towards increasing budgetary allocations for health and monitoring their judicious expenditure.


On HIV/AIDS, the network has plans to establish a strategic framework on the disease that would address the health care needs of their members and their families such as preventive measures and creating an enabling environment as well as treatment. The unions will also fight for the formation and implementation of workplace policies on HIV/AIDS to safeguard the health of their members. Ghana's signatories of the communiqu=E9 were Rev. Richard K. Yeboah, and Mr J. G. Akoto, National Chairman and General Secretary respectively of HSWU.


Other members of the Ghanaian delegation included Mr Abu Kuntulo, Deputy General Secretary of Health Services Workers Union of Ghana TUC and Patricia Ofosua Tweneboah, Head of Women's Desk of HSWU. WAHSUN, the brainchild of the leadership of Ghana's HSWU and Nigeria's MHWU was jointly initiated since 1995 and proposes to publish a quarterly journal next year to promote its educational objectives among members.