Posted on: Mon 23-09-2019

COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE WACN 15TH BIENNIAL GENERAL MEETING/ 24TH SCIENTIFIC SESSION AND 39TH COUNCIL MEETING FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE FROM 17TH – 22ND MARCH, 2019

I wish to inform you that the West African College of Nursing (WACN) successfully held its 39th Council, 15th Biennial General Meeting (BGM) and 24th Scientific Session which took place at the Freetown Conference Hall, Bintumani Compound, Aberdeen, Freetown, Sierra Leone from 14th – 22nd March, 2019.

Kindly accept our sincere thanks and appreciation for your contributions in making the 39th Council, 15th Biennial General Meeting (BGM) and 24th Scientific Session a success. Find enclosed the communiqué of the Meeting for your information and necessary action.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

OKEDO HENRIETTA A. (MRS.) FWACN

Executive Secretary

Distribution:

• Hon. Ministers of Health - Member States
• Permanent Secretaries/Director of Administration - Member States
• All Council Members, WACN
• Director General, WAHO/Director, HRD – WAHO
• - DNS/CNO – Member States
• Registrars – Nursing and Midwifery Councils – Member States
• WACN Chapter Chairmen – Member States
• WACN Collaborators/International Organizations
• President, Nurses and Midwives Association – Member States

cc: PWACN

Secretary General, WACN

15th Biennial General Meeting/ 24th Scientific Session and 39th Council Meeting Freetown, Sierra Leone from 17th – 22nd March, 2019

COMMUNIQUE

PREAMBLE The West African College of Nursing wishes to express her profound gratitude to the President of Sierra Leone, H.E. Rtd. Brigadier General Julius Maada Bio and his wife, Her Excellency,Mrs. Fatima Bio,the government and people of the Republic of Sierra Leone for providing an enabling environment towards the hosting of the Biennial General Meeting. His physical presence with his wife and his cabinet shows his commitments to health and nursing and midwifery practice in the Sub- Region.

The programme commenced with opening prayers on Tuesday, 18th March, 2019 at 9.30am with a Muslim prayer by Sheik. Fomba Swaray and a Christian prayer by Bishop Charles A.M. Campbell after which the Sierra Leone chapter chairman Mrs. Patricia Mattu. Bah, gave the opening remarks. This was followed by acknowledgement of observers and dignitaries from various countries and organizations by the Secretary General, Prof. Ijeoma Okoronkwo. Goodwill messages were given by individuals representing various Non - Governmental Organizations, Sisters Colleges including the Mayor of the City of Freetown Her Lordship Yvonne Aki-Sawyer. The official opening ceremony was done by the President of Sierra Leone, H.E. Rtd. Brigadier General Julius Maada Bio. The following dignitaries received honorary awards: Her Excellency, the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Mrs. Fatima Bio, Bishop Charles A.M. Campbell, Abdul R. Jalloh, Dr Kim Eva Dickson, and Mrs. Jennifer Renner Thomas.

Seven member Countries (Benin, Cameroun, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone) were in attendance. The Executive Secretary Mrs. Henrietta Okedo announced the different positions of the College for 2019 - 2021 period and the countries to hold these positions are:

• Presidency - Ghana
• The Secretary General - Benin
• Honorary Treasurer – Liberia
• 1^st Vice President - Nigeria  
• 2^nd Vice President - Sierra Leone
• Immediate Past President - The Gambia

A total of 190 fellows and 35 observers participated in the conference from WACN member countries.

The citations for the key note address Speaker, Dr. Joan H.E. E. Shepherd, the Principal, National School of Midwifery was read by Prof. Mrs. Ijeoma Okoronkwo. The keynote speaker espoused on ‘Health Service Partnership: The Role of Nurses and Midwives in Building Global Health Security’.

RESOLUTIONS:

At the end of the 15th Biennial Conference, the following resolutions were arrived at:

1. To advance Nursing and Midwifery Education and Practice through partnership, intra and inter- professional collaboration in the sub-region
2. Since health policy formulation is key to delivery of care, nurses and midwives being the major workforce should be involved in leadership and policy formulation
3. Governments, nurses, midwives, development partners and other stakeholders should promote gender equity and protection at the workplace
4. Governments, development partners and other stakeholders in the sub-region should adopt relevant policies and provide conducive working environment for nurses and midwives as they are pivotal to health care services
5. Governments should invest in nurses and midwives so as to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build a resilient health system for global health security
6. Governments at all levels should encourage inter-collaborative efforts to promote the quality of life for vulnerable population especially women and girls
7. Governments, development partners and other stakeholders should support private initiatives geared towards advancing global health security
8. Nurses and midwives should embark on initiatives that contribute to healthcare security at all levels of the health continuum
9. Regulatory bodies in the sub-region should embrace a paradigm shift from analog to digital in line with global best practices for examinations and other nursing and midwifery regulatory activities
10. Governments and stakeholders should put in place a rapid response system to curtail emerging and re-emerging diseases
11. Countries should develop and implement interdisciplinary competencies through research to respond to global health security
12. Governments, development partners and other stakeholders should recognize Fellows of the West African College of Nursing as Advanced Nurse specialist/consultants with implications for revision of scheme of service for nurses and midwives.
13. The WACN Executive embarked on sensitization visit to get the Francophone countries on board. These countries are Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Togo, Niger, Cameroon and Cote d’ivoire sponsored by WAHO.
14. WAHO has been supportive in seeing to the growth and sustenance of the College. At different points, WAHO sponsored delegates from the Francophone countries to the College Biennial General Meeting (BGM)/ Scientific conferences in order to encourage them to join the College. WAHO also supported the production of the WACN Fellowship programme module by examination which kicked off in 2016.
15. The Government/Ministry of Health Senegal has already signed the letter of assent for Senegal nurses/midwives to join WACN.
16. The College inducted three Cameroonians into WACN Fellowship programme in this BGM 2019.
17. The West African College of Nursing (WACN) expresses gratitude to the Jhpiego and Government of Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Benin Republic, especially, the government and people of the Sierra Leone for their financial support and warm reception accorded the delegates during their stay in Sierra Leone.
18. The College decided to hold the 17th BGM and 25th Scientific Session in July 2021 in Benin Republic.

The following were elected into office;

Position	Name	Country
President	Prof. Faustina OwareGyekye	Ghana
Secretary General	Madame Laurence Monteiro	Benin
First Vice President	Mrs. Sola Benice Aketi	Nigeria
Second Vice President	Mrs. Patricia Mattu Bah	Sierra Leone
Honorary Treasurer	Prof. Angela Juaka Sawyer	Liberia
Immediate Past President	Mrs. Fatoumata JarraiDaffeh	The Gambia

Signed: 8/7/2016

MRS. FATOUMATA JARRAI DAFFEH

President, WACN

Signed: 8/7/2019

PROF. IJEOMA OKORONKWO

Secretary General, WACN

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