ECOWAS, through the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), in partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), has organised the official handover ceremony for thirty Land Cruiser 78 Series medical ambulances, equipped with biomedical equipment, for the benefit of ECOWAS member states.
The ceremony in Lomé, Togo, was attended by President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ms. Damtien Tchintchibidja; Minister for Health, Public Hygiene, Universal Health Coverage and Insurance of the Togolese Republic, Mr. Jean-Marie Tessi; Director-General of WAHO, Dr Melchior Athanase Aïssi and Mr. Kossi Edjam, representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as well as representatives of ECOWAS Member States. It also marked the official launch of the deployment of ambulances to the beneficiary states.
In his remarks, Dr Touray first expressed his deep gratitude to the President of the Council of Ministers of the Togolese Republic, Mr Faure Gnassingbe, and to the Government and people of Togo for their warm welcome.
He said that the acquisition of these 30 ambulances not only demonstrates the commitment of ECOWAS, WAHO, UNOPS, and the member states to strengthening health systems, improving access to emergency care, and advancing universal health coverage. It is also the result of an exemplary regional partnership based on solidarity, resilience, and collective responsibility, while placing people at the heart of community action.
“Through this initiative, we reaffirm once again that ECOWAS is a community that acts, a community that protects, and a community that places human well-being at the heart of its integration agenda.” he stated.
The Commission’s Vice President, Ms. Tchintchibidja, said that it was with emotion and a sense of accomplishment that she was taking part in this ceremony, which is among the outgoing Commission’s final official acts after a four-year term marked by major health, security, and institutional challenges.
She also paid tribute to ECOWAS Commission President Dr Omar Alieu Touray for his leadership and congratulated the Commissioners, the Director General of WAHO, the staff of the institutions, the member states, and UNOPS for their dedication, while calling for the continuity of the Community’s mission.
“A commission comes and goes, but the mission endures. The institutions of our community are greater than the men and women who serve them for a time. That is why I hope that the work we have begun will continue with the same determination, and I extend my warmest encouragement to those who will have the honour of taking over from us.
These thirty ambulances will remain, long after we have left, a tangible testament to what we sought to achieve together: bringing healthcare closer to communities, strengthening our region’s health resilience, and making solidarity and regional integration in health care a daily reality for the peoples of West Africa,” she stated.
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Togo’s Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Mr. Tessi, commended, on behalf of the Togolese government, ECOWAS and WAHO for this initiative, which contributes to improving and strengthening the responsiveness of the health systems in Togo and the other ECOWAS member States.
In his remarks, Dr Aïssi emphasised that this initiative was made possible thanks to the leadership of the ECOWAS Commission, the strategic partnership between WAHO and UNOPS, and the support of member States.
He added that these ambulances represent a major asset for regional health resilience, provided they are accompanied by effective management, sustainable maintenance, and qualified human resources.
“A region’s health resilience depends not only on the capacity of each country but also on our collective ability to act together under a single, tailored regional coordination framework, in perfect harmony.” Dr Aïssi added.
Mr Kossi Edjam, representing the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, thanked ECOWAS, WAHO, and UNOPS for this symbolic initiative.
He expressed his delight at having contributed to training hospital staff in the use of ambulances and pledged to ensure their responsible use.
