The West African Health Unions Network (WAHSUN) of PSI will hold its virtual biannual meeting on Wednesday, 30th June, 2021 from 9:00 am GMT under the theme “Two decades of the Abuja declaration on Health Budget of West African Nations: The Gains and Fall Outs in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic”. Interpretation will be available in English and French.
The sub-themes to be discussed are :
“The state of health budget across West Africa and its impact on health systems within the Covid-19 Pandemic”.
“Covid-19 vaccination roll out across West Africa and the role of health sector trade unions”
The leadership of a number of health unions within the West Africa region, both anglophone and francophone will join the meeting to discuss, the theme into detail and their country specific situations regarding Covid-19 vaccination and steps taken or steps they intend to take to better defend members rights and workplace.
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BACKGROUND
The West African Health Sector Unions Network (WASHUN) brings together health sector unions in the West African Sub-region. Since 11th March, 2020 when the World Health Assembly declared the COVID-19 as a pandemic, nations across West Africa have had their share of the toll of the pandemic on the already fragile health systems and the economy as a whole.
WAHSUN recognizes the undaunted and resilient efforts of health professionals at the frontlines in the fight against the Coronavirus and the challenges nations have faced with the supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for health care workers and the provision of other health logistics in combating the pandemic. Additionally, the low level of testing and contact tracing in these countries has led to unchecked spread and unrealistic data on the pandemic in West African countries.
The many years of poor funding of the health sector of these nations emanating from the lack of commitment on the part of governments to adhere to the Abuja declaration of April 2001 to commit fifteen percentage (15%) of the nation’s annual budget to health.
Globally vaccines have reduced the disease burden and death through successful immunization programs, however, public confidence in the COVID -19 vaccines has been greatly affected by negative social media information on the safety of the vaccine, particularly given the unprecedented speed with which COVID-19 vaccines have moved through the development pipeline (Silverman, 2020), distrust in the government, the medical research community and pharmaceutical companies is also common (Fisher et al., 2020). Some people also feel they do not need the vaccine, either because they have already had (or believe they have had) COVID-19, they do not believe COVID-19 is a serious threat to their health, or they simply do not believe in vaccination (Fisher et al., 2020).
It is for these reasons that WAHSUN finds it necessary to hold this webinar to reach out to health sector unions and other stakeholders within the West African region to discuss the issues and formulate a positive path for the future.
THE PROBLEM
Situational analysis, group discussions, radio and television programs, observations and review of WhatsApp platform commentaries, local and international news reveals that some health workers within the sub region have still not received their COVID-19 vaccination.
Factors affecting the deployment of vaccines among health workers centers on unavailability of the vaccines, inadequate knowledge about the vaccines and hesitancy resulting from the many conspiracy theories on social media.
For health workers, knowledge about the vaccines, its mode of administration and the side effects are important issues. Again, knowledge about the level of immunity the vaccine can provide and whether one can be infected even after vaccination are all issues that need to be addressed.
OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF WEBINAR
The overall goal of the webinar is to enhance efforts to draw the attention of West African nations on the need to increase health budget allocations and the overall benefits it will bring to the peoples of these nations especially towards the achievement of Universal Health Coverage and the attainment of the health related Sustainable Development Goals.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
To determine the state of health budget across the West Africa region and assess its impact on health systems.
To equip health sector Trade Union leaders with the requisite knowledge to educate members and the general public on covid-19 vaccines roll out in West Africa.
To outline the role of health sector trade unions in vaccination roll outs across the region.
DETAILS OF THE WEBINAR
DATE FOR WEBINAR: 30th June, 2021
MAIN THEME:
Two decades of the Abuja declaration on Health Budget of West African Nations: The Gains and Fall Outs in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
SUBTHEMES & SPEAKERS:
The state of health budget across West Africa and its impact on health systems within the Covid-19 Pandemic
SPEAKER: Mr. Kingsley Addai Frimpong, Health Financing & Health Workforce Health Systems & Services (HSS) Cluster, Ghana.
Covid-19 vaccination roll out across West Africa and the role of health sector trade unions.
SPEAKER: Comrade Baba Aye, PSI
Contact Persons: WAHSUN Chairperson, Mrs. Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo &
WAHSUN General Secretary, Mr. Ayegba Ojonugwa
Telephone: +233244654068 / +2348055849059
Email Address: netwahsun@gmail.com/kozite@yahoo.com/ojonugwa1000@gmail.com
The West African Health Sector Unions Network (WAHSUN) was established on November 9, 2007 in Abuja, Nigeria. The current member organizations are from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Mali, Benin and Togo.