The West African Health Organization (WAHO) has urged greater collaboration among the 15 medicine regulatory agencies in West Africa to enhance drug regulations and improve access to quality medicines across the region.

Dr. Carlos Brito, WAHO’s Director of Public Health, made the call during the opening ceremony of a Technical Workshop in Lagos, ahead of the Steering Committee meeting of the West African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (WA-MRH) Project. He emphasized the importance of regional integration in achieving health for all, pointing out that some countries are at different stages of development and need support to strengthen their capacity.

“WAHO and ECOWAS have a strong mechanism of solidarity. We believe that by integrating efforts across our region, we can ensure that all countries benefit from the strengths of others, especially in improving healthcare,” Dr. Brito noted.

Supporting this view, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, underscored the necessity of regional cooperation to ensure the availability of quality medicines and to reduce the proliferation of substandard drugs. She highlighted the danger of weak regulatory agencies, stating that weaknesses in one country could allow falsified medicines to enter neighboring nations.

“NAFDAC is benefiting from WAHO’s funding and support, which is helping to strengthen our efforts in ensuring drug quality,” Prof. Adeyeye added, emphasizing that regional collaboration is key to safeguarding public health across West Africa.