2021 WAPCMLS Conference slated for November 15, Abuja
Below is the pre-conference press briefing by Dr. Godswill C. Okara FWAPCMLS, FMLSCN, FIBMS(UK)
Registrar/Secretary-General on November 5, 2021 in Abuja:
WEST AFRICAN POSTGRADUATE COLLEGE OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE
26 Lome Crescent, Wuse Zone 7, Abuja
info@wapcmls.org, www.wapcmls.org
PRE-CONFERENCE PRESS BRIEFING 5th Nov. 2021
Gentlemen of the Press, I welcome you to this pre-conference briefing to acquaint you with the plans for the 2021 regional conference and Induction of Elected Fellows of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science taking place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Monday 15th – Wednesday 17th November, 2021.
The West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science is a statutory specialized professional Postgraduate training institution of the ECOWAS region, established to train specialists in all the subdisciplines and specialties of medical laboratory science profession, to strengthen manpower capacity for efficient healthcare service, health research, disease detection, accurate diagnosis, disease surveillance, prevention and control in the West African region.
The 62nd Session of the World Health Organisation Afro-Regional Committee at a meeting on 20th November 2012, in Luanda, Angola adopted the Road map on Human Resources for Health. The Regional Committee unanimously adopted the Road Map for scaling up the human resources for health to improve health service delivery in Africa. The Regional Committee is a WHO Governing Body for the African Region, composed of Ministers of Health of the 46 Member States.
The Regional Road map proposes strategies and actions to overcome the health workforce challenges in Africa. The Road map proposed strategies and actions in six areas:
Strengthening health workforce leadership and governance capacity;
Establishing or Strengthening Human Resources for Health regulatory capacity;
Scaling up education and training of health workers with appropriate skills mix;
Optimizing the utilization, retention and performance of the active health workforce;
Improving health workforce information and generation of evidence for decision making;
Strengthening health workforce dialogue and partnership.
36 countries in the African Region have a health human resources crisis and 10 of these face critical shortages. This acute shortage of skilled health workers means that most countries are unable to avail appropriately skilled health workers in the right quantity where they are needed.
Human capacity development is critical in the provision of an effective and efficient heath care service. The achievement of the 2019-2023 WHO “Triple Billion Target” can only be possible if the health workforce operates in collaboration and cooperation among themselves, as it obtains in other parts of the developed world.
In Dec 2014, the 46th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government decided on the desirability of harmonizing professional training curriculum in the region;
ECOWAS Assembly of Health Ministers adopted the harmonized healthcare professional training curricular articulated by WAHO to address the health needs of both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels
Again, in May 2018, the World Health Assembly, adopted and launched the WHO’s five-year strategic plan covering the period 2019-2023, which will focus on achieving the “Triple Billion target”, which states that by 2023:
• One billion more people will benefit from Universal Health Coverage;
• One billion more people will be better protected from health emergencies;
• One billion more people will enjoy better health and well- being.
Astana Declaration
On the 25th and 26th October 2018, Heads of States and Governments, Ministers and representatives of countries at the Global Conference on Primary Health Care in Astana, Kazakhstan, coming exactly 40 years after the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration on Health for All, reaffirmed their commitments and expressed as follows:
“We envision
Governments and societies that prioritize, promote and protect people’s health and well-being, at both population and individual levels, through strong health systems;
Primary health care and health services that are high quality, safe, comprehensive, integrated, accessible, available and affordable for everyone and everywhere, provided with compassion, respect and dignity by health professionals who are well-trained, skilled, motivated and committed;
Enabling and health-conducive environments in which individuals and communities are empowered and engaged in maintaining and enhancing their health and well-being;
Partners and stakeholders aligned in providing effective support to national health policies, strategies and plans.”
This is the imperative that has informed the establishment of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science for Fellowship training to produce the compliment of specialists with the desired body of knowledge and technical dexterity to meet the growing challenge of diseases in our sub-region, and by extension ensure global health security.
The 2021 scientific conference of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science has the theme: Improving Global Health by Strengthening Medical Laboratory Capacity in Africa.
Mr. President, HE Muhammadu Buhari has graciously consented to declare the Conference open on the 15th November, 2021. It would be chaired by the Director General of West African Health Organisation, Professor Stanley Okolo. The Keynote Lecture would be delivered by a foremost physician/infectious diseases specialist, Professor Idris Mohammed OON, NNOM, FRCP.
Other distinguished subject experts from West Africa and the USA CDC would also make presentations on subthemes of the Conference. Our College Fellows from all over West Africa and Cameroun would be in attendance at the three-day conference.
One hundred and twenty Elected Fellows would be inducted as a major highlight of the Conference to position the College adequately for the commencement of Fellowship training in the region.
Thank you.
Dr. Godswill C. Okara FWAPCMLS, FMLSCN, FIBMS(UK)
Registrar/Secretary-General
Source: africaneditors.com
