The annual technical meeting of experts on the Surveillance of Priority Zoonotic Diseases as an entry point for operationalizing the “One Health” approach in the ECOWAS region, opened in Accra, Ghana on Monday with several high-level speakers stressing the crucial importance of the integrated approach for the prevention and management of zoonotic diseases in the sub-region.
The four days technical meeting is holding in the Ghanaian capital from November 10-13, 2025.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Director-General of Health of Ghana, Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, who represented the Minister of Health, emphasized Ghana's capacity to address trans-boundary zoonotic diseases.
He highlighted Ghana's institutional systems for the One Health approach, ensuring close collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the Veterinary Services, and other government agencies.
Professor Kaba also mentioned that the pilot Integrated Dog Bite Management System, launched in 2024, enables a coordinated response, avoids duplication of treatments, and facilitates access to post-exposure vaccines.
He further emphasized the inter-sectoral information-sharing tool, which brings together all relevant stakeholders for a joint risk assessment.
The representative of the Minister of Health, Public Hygiene, and Universal Health Coverage of Côte d’Ivoire, Professor Mamadou Samba, Director General of Health, stated that only coordinated, multi-sectoral action, based on the effective sharing of information, can truly reduce the impact of zoonoses.
He emphasized that zoonotic surveillance is not merely a technical challenge, but also a human and ethical responsibility.
According to him, Côte d’Ivoire has made significant progress, notably with the vaccination of more than 200,000 domestic carnivores by 2024, compared to only 10,000 in 2016. These efforts have enabled the country to improve its preparedness level from 1.6 to 2.4, according to the Global Alliance against Rabies' SARE tool.
The Executive Director of the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (ECOWAS-RCSDC), Dr. Diarrassouba Mamadou, representing the Director-General of the West African Health Organization (WAHO), emphasized the need to evolve our surveillance systems towards a more integrated approach.
He stressed that implementing a harmonized system capable of rapid detection, effective information sharing, and coordinated response is a collective priority.
Dr. Mamadou also highlighted the importance of having standardized guidelines in all member states to avoid operational chaos and strengthen regional resilience.
He further stressed the urgent need to adopt a collective model reflecting the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, in line with the ECOWAS One Health strategy.
Other speakers, including Dr. Anthony Ayeke, representative of the European Union Delegation to ECOWAS, and Ms. Fatima Zanna Husseini, Coordinator of the GIZ Regional Pandemic Prevention Programme, also emphasized the importance of information sharing, digital innovation, and regional cooperation in addressing emerging zoonoses.
Dr. Serge Pouam, representative of the Quadripartite Secretariat for One Health, called for the adoption of integrated and standardized models for improved early warning, stressing that an effective response to zoonotic threats depends on seamless collaboration among all relevant sectors.
Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans, caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Examples include COVID-19, Ebola, rabies, and salmonella. These diseases can spread through direct contact with animals, or indirectly through contaminated food, water, or the environment
