It was attended by 17 members of the network made up of public health physicians, research scientists, medical anthropologists, media and civil society organisation from Francophone and Anglophone countries in ECOWAS.

Addressing the meeting, the director general of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), Dr. Xavier Crespin, pledged to support the capacity building of members of WANEL to help make a positive change in health policy and systems and health outcomes in the sub-region.

He underscored the importance of action research, stressing that research must go beyond making recommendation and putting them on the shelves, to translate the findings into actions to improve health outcomes.

Dr. Crespin noted that, in spite of the financial and human resources challenges of WAHO, the organisation succeeded in mobilising resources to support the control of the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in the sub-region.

Commenting on the importance of addressing the multi-sectoral and social determinants of improved health outcomes in the sub-region, Dr. Crespin mentioned the “One Health Approach Platform” that would seek to build partnership with other sectors like education, agriculture, communication sectors for better human development outcomes in the sub region.