Covid-19: ECOWAS pledges 15% of budget to healthcare

Heads of States and Governments of the Economic Community of West African States have disclosed plan to dedicate 15% of their annual budget to the health sector in their respective countries.

This was disclosed in a communique issued on Friday April 24, 2020 by President of Niger and Chairman of the Authority, Issoufou Mahamadou.

He said, “This plan followed part of the deliberations of the sub-regional presidents at a summit of the Authority of Heads of States and Governments of ECOWAS convened to deliberate on the COVID-19 pandemic.

“And the need to develop healthcare in the sub-region has become more important in view of the virus.”

He added that a similar resolution which was adopted in November 2014 at an Extraordinary Summit then convened on the Ebola Virus Disease, was revisited and agreed to by the authority.

“In terms of the fight against COVID-19, ECOWAS resolved to allocate, at least, 15 per cent of annual budget to strengthen health care systems as recommended, to encourage member-states to pool, as far as possible, their purchases of equipment and drugs to combat COVID-19,” he added.

ECOWAS therefore enjoined all member-states to make their contribution to the African Union Solidarity Fund and strengthen cooperation between the African CDC and the WAHO in order to make support to the ECOWAS member-states more effective.

While commending member-states for their individual support, it stated that it was essential to sensitize West African citizens to the dangers of COVID-19 in order to contain the spread of the diseases.