Over 100 participants from 33 countries, international, regional and local institutions and organizations, technical partners and donors attended the Stakeholder Consultation on National Health Security and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Planning which was held from 5 - 7 December 2017 in Accra, Ghana.  The meeting was opened by the honourable Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Ghana.  WHO was represented by Dr Owen Kaluwa, WHO representative of WHO Ghana Office, Dr Stella Chungong, ad-interim Chief of country monitoring evaluation unit together with Dr Wenqing Zhang, Influenza manager unit of WHO. In addition, Dr Lawrence Kerr, Director Pandemic and Emerging Threat Office of United States Department of Human and Health Services also attended this important meeting. Minister Agyemang-Manu, emphasized that the strategic partnership network meeting in Ghana between global health security and international Influenza network is crucial and historic, as it is the first time the two international networks meet and collaborate.

Therefore, the objectives of the meeting were defined as follows:

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To strengthen collaboration and coordination regarding the implementation of the national and global action plans for pandemic influenza preparedness and response with multi-sectoral stakeholders, including FAO and OIE;

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To finalize the strategies and priorities with countries and partners for pandemic influenza preparedness and response;

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To share the status of countries` pandemic influenza preparedness, identify gaps and challenges and prioritize actions at national, regional and global level;

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To align efforts among key stakeholders to address prioritized gaps and implement the WHO pandemic influenza preparedness plan, within the framework of national action plan for health security, and the strategic partnership framework.

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Photo Gallery from the meeting.