By Seun Ibiyemi
The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has taken a significant step towards strengthening public health emergency preparedness in the ECOWAS region with the adoption of harmonised ethical and regulatory tools for health research during epidemics.
The development emerged at the end of a four-day regional workshop held in Lomé, Togo, from June 3 to 6, 2026, which brought together representatives of ECOWAS Member States, National Research Ethics Committees (NRECs), National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs), researchers, and development partners.
The workshop focused on reinforcing ethical and regulatory frameworks governing health research, enhancing coordination among key institutions, and developing regional mechanisms to support timely and effective responses to public health emergencies.
Participants adopted three key regional instruments designed to improve research oversight and emergency preparedness across West Africa.
These include a harmonised checklist for the ethical review of research protocols, a coordination protocol between National Research Ethics Committees and National Medicines Regulatory Authorities, and a regional framework for accelerated ethical review and emergency authorisation during epidemic outbreaks.
WAHO said the newly adopted tools would help streamline research approval processes, strengthen regulatory collaboration, and ensure that health research conducted during emergencies adheres to internationally accepted ethical standards.
A major highlight of the workshop was the election of a new Executive Committee of the West African Network of Ethics Committees (WANEC), a regional body dedicated to coordinating and strengthening research ethics systems across ECOWAS countries.
Under the new leadership structure, Senegal was elected President of WANEC, while Nigeria emerged as Vice-President.
The Gambia will serve as Executive Secretary, with Sierra Leone taking responsibility for Stakeholder Research Coordination. Guinea-Bissau was elected Coordinator for Resource Mobilisation and Partnership, while Côte d’Ivoire will oversee Training and Accreditation.
Participants also launched a regional platform that allows for the simultaneous submission of research protocols to ethics committees across ECOWAS Member States.
The platform is expected to significantly reduce delays in the review process and facilitate faster implementation of critical research projects during health emergencies.
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Stakeholders at the meeting described the initiative as a major milestone in promoting regional collaboration, strengthening research governance, and improving the region’s capacity to respond to disease outbreaks and other public health threats.
WAHO reiterated its commitment to supporting Member States in building resilient ethical and regulatory systems capable of addressing current and future health challenges while fostering scientific innovation and research excellence across West Africa.
