The Health Security Program (HeSP) in West and Central Africa, financed by the World Bank Group, was officially launched on October 4, 2024, in Praia, Cabo Verde. Implemented by the West African Health Organization (WAHO), the HeSP Program aims to strengthen regional and national capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies. This program marks a crucial step for health security in the region and adopts a “One Health” approach, promoting collaboration between the human health, animal health, and environmental sectors, with the objective of strengthening the resilience of health systems and ensuring an effective response to health emergencies. The HeSP Program also aims to improve regional cooperation and increase the capacity of health systems in West and Central African countries to prevent, detect, and respond to health crises. The HeSP program will be implemented in several phases. After the initial phase implemented in Cabo Verde, Guinea, and Liberia, other countries in West and Central Africa will join the program during subsequent phases.

The HeSP program has four main components:
1: Prevention of health emergencies,
2: Detection of health emergencies,
3: Response to Health Emergency,
4: Program management and institutional capacity building.

As part of this program, WOAH provides technical assistance to WAHO for the implementation of animal health activities through components 1, 2, and 4.

The HeSP initiative aims to boost health security in the sub-region. During its first phase, the USD 500 million IDA-financed multiphase operation will involve Cabo Verde, Guinea, Liberia, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Member States to increase collaboration and improve health system capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies in the region.
The regional programme seeks to ramp up multisectoral preparedness and response capacities for health emergencies, relying on a “One Health approach” to optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. Health security interventions aim to address the intertwined nature of pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, and climate-related challenges persistent in the region, with priority given to gender related risks and equity considerations.