The Chairman of the Board of the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO) and Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Nigeria, Dr. Temitope Ilori, paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Director-General of the West African Health Organization (WAHO), Prof. Vincent Pitché.

ALCO is a regional intergovernmental organisation coordinating cross-border HIV, AIDS and public health interventions along the Abidjan–Lagos transport corridor, which traverses Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.

During the visit, Dr. Ilori congratulated Prof. Pitché on his assumption of office and reaffirmed the importance of sustained regional collaboration in advancing the objectives and activities of the corridor.

In his response, Prof. Pitché appreciated the ALCO Board Chairman for the visit and acknowledged ALCO’s continued engagement and commitment to the corridor. He reaffirmed WAHO’s commitment to maintaining a close working relationship with ALCO, describing the corridor as one of the most strategic in West Africa, given its regional significance and the millions of people who depend on it.

He noted that the importance of the corridor was well recognised within ECOWAS and WAHO, making it imperative for WAHO to support its activities. While acknowledging the financial challenges currently confronting regional organisations, including WAHO, he assured Dr. Ilori that the organisation would endeavour to provide support within the limits of its available resources.

The meeting reinforced the shared commitment of ALCO and WAHO to strengthening regional cooperation, sustaining cross-border public health interventions and advancing the health and well-being of populations along the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor.