The Gambia is joined by Cameroon at a three-week training programme organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) of the Republic of Ghana.

The training gathers representatives from the governments of ECOWAS member states to participate in the West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative (WADPI) training opportunities which commenced from 13 July through 30 November 2015.

The training is aimed at strengthening regional communication, collaboration and integration to enhance disaster preparedness in the West Africa sub-region and by extension across Africa, considering the recent spread of terrorism and certain diseases that have affected people across the borders.

The West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative aims to strengthen national capacities among 17 West African Partner Nations (PNs) to better implement a whole of government, all-hazards approach to disaster preparedness and response management by building upon lessons learned from the international Ebola response effort.

This goal is accomplished through a three-week series of awareness training sessions involving governments, civilians and military representatives with a key focus on individuals closely involved with disaster or disease outbreak preparedness and response operations.

Participants at the training will discuss, review and validate the National Ebola Preparedness and Response Plans; review and validate National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOCs) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) Software Platform “Boot Camp; Integrated One-Health Surveillance & Early Warning Scenarios among other things.

ECOWAS plays a lead role in this initiative to further strengthen regional coordination mechanisms and undertake longer-term sustainable engagements between member states in disaster preparedness.