The ECOWAS Commission has started the process of developing a comprehensive digital platform to serve as a centralized system for data input by national focal points to enhance drug use information under the West African Epidemiology Network On Drug Use project.
Commissioner, Human Development and Social Affairs, ECOWAS Commission disclosed this at the Validation Workshop of the 2024 Report of the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use, in Abuja
The ECOWAS Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional efforts in the fight against drug abuse with the launch of a centralized digital platform.
The system is designed to enhance data input, coordination, and analysis under the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use, WENDU.
At the opening of a three-day validation workshop in Abuja, the Commission emphasised the importance of credible data for effective drug prevention and control strategies across West Africa.
The platform is expected to improve the accuracy and timeliness of drug-related data shared by national focal points, enabling more coordinated responses to emerging trends.
The workshop also aims to build the capacity of WENDU focal points from ECOWAS Member States in data collection, collation, and analysis using newly developed tools.
The Commission noted that the initiative is part of broader efforts to address drug-related challenges that continue to threaten public health and security in the region as participants were encouraged to ensure that the data presented during the validation process reflects the true scale and pattern of drug use, arrests, seizures, and treatment admissions in their respective countries.
Representatives from Nigeria’s Ministry of Health stressed the urgency of the drug crisis in the region, calling for stronger collaboration and sustainable mechanisms for data-driven policy action.
