World Health Organization urges action on drowning deaths as West African Health body calls for tighter health‑co‑operat

The World Health Organization highlighted that about 66,000 people die each year from drowning in Africa, the continent’s highest drowning mortality rate. WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Mohamed Janabi called for urgent, multisectoral collaboration involving health, education, transport, fisheries and disaster management, citing progress in Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Mozambique and Nigeria and urging governments to adopt safety measures such as child supervision, swimming lessons and life‑jackets.

Marking its 39th anniversary, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) said the future of health care across ECOWAS depends on stronger regional cooperation, sustainable financing and technological innovation. Director‑General Dr. Melchior Aïssi outlined recent achievements, including a Regional Framework for Malaria Elimination, the Freetown Charter on data‑driven reductions in maternal and infant mortality, and new commitments to exclusive breastfeeding and domestic health funding. He warned that emerging diseases, climate change and digital transformation require coordinated action and intensified regional collaboration.