By Christian Appolos | Abuja
With Support from the Solidarity Centre, trade unions in West Africa under the umbrella of Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA) have commenced designing new communication strategies to increase awareness on quality and affordable healthcare for workers.
Nigerian Tribune reports that with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed the poor availability of healthcare facilities and medical personnel in West Africa, OTUWA in 2020, with support from Solidarity Centre, commenced a campaign tagged, “Healthcare is a Human Right.”
The campaign was targeted at pressuring African leaders to prioritise and increasing budgetary spending on health facilities and supplies.
OTUWA, with further support from Solidarity Centre, later expanded its regional ‘Healthcare is a Human Right’ advocacy campaign to include informal workers-based unions and created a network of informal sector workers network to undertake a comprehensive regional campaign at the sub regional and national levels.
However, under its new strategy, OTUWA has resolved to include members of Civil Society Organisations from Nigeria, Togo, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Ivory Coast.
Speaking at a recent virtual meeting, OTUWA’s General Secretary, John Odah, said with guidance from the Solidarity Centre’s communication department, the OTUWA team will develop coordinated messages that targets national parliaments, ministries of health and other decision making bodies, at country level.
Bashman Mohammed, Senior Programme Officer, Solidarity Centre AFL-CIO, who spoke on behalf of his organisation, said the Solidarity Centre is committed to providing technical support to OTUWA in their quest to improve healthcare within West Africa.
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