Building WAPCMLS boldest step to global health security & universal health coverage agenda- WAPCMLS Prof. Nafiu Amidu

President of West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science (WAPCMLS) and Dean University of Deveopment Studies’ ( UDS) in Ghana Professor Nafiu Amidu has lauded the establishment of WAPCMLS adding that building of WAPCMLS remains boldest effort to global health security and l universal health coverage agenda within the West African sub-region.

Prof. Nafiu Amidu, Prez of WAPCMLS (left) & Dr. Godswill Okara (right) holding vow during the induction of elected Fellows of WAPCMLS, Abuja.

According to UDS Professor, the setting up of WAPCMLS is a pivotal and milestone decision that, serving as a shining example to the rest of Africa and beyond.

Delivering the welcome address at 2021 Scientific Conference of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science and Induction/Investiture of our Elected Fellows at Abuja on Monday 15 November 2021, the University of Deveopment Studies’ School of Allied Health Sciences Prof. Nafiu Amidu whilst urging Fellows of WAPCMLS not to lose sight of myriad of challenges that must be fixed, acknowledges that the resolution to put up the WAPCMLS remains a landmark step on the African Continent in the community of Nations”..

Below is the welcome address delivered by WAPCMLS President Prof. Nafiu Amidu on Monday 15 November 2021:

“Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Fellows,
Gentlemen of the Press,
Distinguished Leaders of Sister Colleges of ECOWAS Region
Ladies and Gentlemen from across the ECOWAS Member states.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you most cordially to our 2021 scientific conference of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science and Induction/Investiture of our Elected Fellows. This congress is of strategic importance as reflected in the theme which is focused on improving Global Health Security by Strengthening Medical laboratory Capacity in West Africa. This scientific congress is coming at a time the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic need to be harnessed to strengthen our health care and diagnostics system while positioning practitioners to effectively combat present and future public health challenges. The anticipated brain-tasking congress will address key issues and trends surrounding quality diagnostic access, vaccines availability and laboratory capacities on the region’s level of preparedness, regulations, infrastructures, human resource, biosafety and biosecurity, Good Laboratory and Manufacturing Practices, safety and quality management. The congress is designed to expose and engage participants in the following thematic areas: inter-professional health workforce development for universal health coverage and disease outbreak in Africa, production of safe & efficient vaccine and deploying container-based vaccine laboratories in Africa, Bio-safety and bio-security practices in disease outbreak in Africa.

The quest for the transformation of medical laboratory practice has been a dynamic process over the years. A lot of passion has been expressed, a lot of effort has been put into it, progress has been made, but the formation of WAPCMLS is the boldest step towards harnessing all past efforts and streamlining all the different parts in this evolving transformational phenomenon into measurable accomplishments for the Global health security and universal health coverage agenda in the region.

Given the pressing need and opportunity for Africa to catch up with the rest of the world, the time is ripe to ensure through the training of specialists, we broaden the level of participation of all stakeholders to a cohesive and integrated action for the benefit of our region. This is what we hope will be achieved through our College. More than ever before, we need to collaborate, cooperate and work harmoniously for the greater good of humanity and society as professionals.

Your Excellency Sir, Nigeria has a statutory obligation as the host of the headquarters of our College to support the accommodation and the initial staffing of the college in line with WAHO principles. It is in keeping with this that the college has applied to the Government of Nigeria to kindly consider the allocation of one of the EFCC-recovered properties in Abuja for use as office accommodation headquarters of the College.
The response to our application which was made since February 2021 is yet to be received. We would like to once more passionately appeal to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, as our foremost father and leader in the region to grant us this request. In the same vein, our college has also applied for and paid all the relevant fees to the Federal Capital Territory for land allocation by the Federal Capital Territory Authority for the development of the permanent site of the college.

Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen,
I can assure you that this conference promises to be a most impressive collection of minds on Global health security and medical laboratory system strengthening as contained in the robust agenda.
Thank you for your attention.

Source: africaneditors.com