The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has emphasised the need for regional cooperation to effectively tackle the menace of drug abuse in West Africa.
This call was made at a Validation Workshop of the 2024 Report of the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) in Abuja.
Professor Fatou Sarr, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, represented by Dr. Daniel Amankwaah, highlighted ECOWAS’s commitment to strengthening regional cooperation in combating drug abuse.
“The development of a comprehensive WENDU digital platform underscores ECOWAS’s commitment to strengthening regional cooperation in combating drug abuse and its associated consequences, ” he said.
The digital platform aimed to serve as a centralised system for data input, access, and analysis.
Sarr noted that the platform would be robust, secure, and user-friendly, facilitating a more coordinated regional response to drug-related issues.
Sarr announced that ECOWAS was finalising a documentary on drug prevention and control in West Africa as part of its 50th-anniversary celebration.
“This year marks the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS. As part of the celebration, we are happy to announce that the Commission is finalizing a documentary on drug prevention and control in West Africa, ” added.
Sarr emphasised the importance of a credible WENDU report in improving evidence-based drug prevention and control activities.
“A credible WENDU report is crucial to improving evidence-based drug prevention and control activities both at the national and regional levels, ” he said.
Mrs. Henrietta Bakura-Onyeneke, Director of Narcotics and Drug Abuse Division, Ministry of Health, Nigeria, called for a renewed resolve and collective action to confront the region’s drug abuse and trafficking challenges.
“She said, ”Let us seize this opportunity to collaborate, learn, and strengthen our collective resolve in addressing substance use and illicit drug trafficking across ECOWAS.”
The West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) was established to address the social, health, and economic ramifications of drug use through localized sentinel surveillance networks.
The workshop aimed to improve the capacity of WENDU focal points in collating, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating drug-related data.
