The Director General of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), Dr Melchior Athanase Joël C. Aïssi, has commenced a series of high-level engagements with authorities of Guinea-Bissau’s Transitional Government to advance the implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Community Health Policy (RCHP).
Dr Aïssi began the engagements on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, as part of an official mission aimed at strengthening political commitment, institutional ownership and multisectoral collaboration around the implementation of the regional policy.
The WAHO Director General was accompanied by the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Guinea-Bissau, Ambassador Ngozi Ukaeje, and a high-level delegation from WAHO.
The delegation’s first engagement was a courtesy and working meeting with the Minister of Public Health, Commodore Dr Quinhin Nantote, at the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP).
Discussions focused on Guinea-Bissau’s priorities in community health and the institutional and technical conditions required to ensure the effective implementation of the RCHP in the country.
The WAHO delegation subsequently paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Amadu Uri Guissé, at the Government House/Ministry of Agriculture.
The meeting highlighted the importance of a multisectoral approach to community health, particularly the need for active participation by sectors beyond the health ministry in addressing the broader determinants of health.
According to WAHO, the ongoing mission is part of efforts to promote ownership of the Regional Community Health Policy by ECOWAS Member States, strengthen high-level political commitment and establish the necessary enabling environment for its effective implementation.
Guinea-Bissau is serving as the pilot country for the implementation initiative. The high-level engagements by the WAHO Director General with other authorities of the Transitional Government are expected to continue through Wednesday, August 19, with a focus on strengthening institutional dialogue and mobilising relevant sectors towards the implementation of the regional policy.
The programme on Wednesday will also feature the official handover of laboratory equipment procured by WAHO for Guinea-Bissau’s National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP).
Another major activity will be the official opening of a workshop on Guinea-Bissau’s commitment to implementing the new Regional Community Health Policy.
The three-day workshop, scheduled for August 19 to 21 in Bissau, is expected to provide a platform for national stakeholders to deepen understanding of the policy, strengthen coordination and identify practical steps for its implementation.
The engagements underscore WAHO’s broader effort to translate ECOWAS regional health commitments into concrete national action, with Guinea-Bissau positioned as a pilot for advancing a more integrated and community-centred approach to health across the West African region.
