Our Program Lead, Dr. Uchechukwu Ngwaba (Toronto Metropolitan University), joined Africa CDC's Western Africa Regional Coordinating Centre (WA RCC) in Accra, Ghana for the Third Statutory Annual Regional Technical Advisory Committee (ReTAC) Meeting, held 19–20 August 2026.
ReTAC is the principal technical advisory body supporting the Western Africa RCC, bringing together Member State experts, Regional Economic Communities, technical institutions, and development partners to review progress on the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) Agenda and chart regional priorities for the year ahead.
Dr. Ngwaba presented on the ongoing collaboration between WA RCC, RHGS, Sociocapital, and MERIC — covering two workstreams:
📊 CIHR Catalyst Grant — Accelerating AMR Policy Action in West Africa, working across all 15 WA RCC Member States to strengthen governance and implementation of national AMR policies already in place. Highlights shared with the Committee:
- Phase 1's rapid review of 175 records found that regional coordination and donor partnerships are the strongest enablers of AMR policy progress — while data systems, frontline awareness, legal enforcement, and financing remain the key barriers.
- Country successes — including Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania, Senegal, and Ethiopia — show what's possible when measurement is built into implementation from the start.
- Phase 2 virtual consultations are ready to launch as soon as institutional ethics approvals are finalized, ahead of a Phase 3 in-person convening in Abuja, Nigeria later this year.
🤝 Looking ahead, RHGS and WA RCC are also exploring collaboration opportunities around a West African Health Governance & Decision-Support Hub — building on the strong foundation of the AMR partnership to support Member States in turning the data they already collect into stronger, more measurable governance decisions.
Grateful to Director of the WA RCC, Dr. Kokou Alinon, Partnerships Officer: Dr. Elphas Ojiambo, and the entire WA RCC Secretariat for the invitation and continued partnership, and to Africa CDC for convening technical leaders from across the region under the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty Agenda.
#GlobalHealth #AMR #HealthGovernance #AfricaCDC #WestAfrica #RegionalHealthGovernanceStudy #PublicHealth #ReTAC
