WAVE COTONOU MEETING

The Cotonou Meeting or WAVE’s plea for regional preparedness plan to fight cassava viral diseases

From 7-9 June 2018, The West African Virus Epidemiology (WAVE) Program, along with the Government of Benin organized a high level ministerial meeting for joint action by 12 African countries to respond to impeding spread of cassava viral diseases.

The main objective of the meeting was to raise awareness and galvanize support from key stakeholders for the management and control of cassava viral disease threats, particularly cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), which is currently spreading from East Africa to West.

Bringing together nearly 300 participants from 16 countries, the meeting included government Ministers (from Benin, Gabon and Burkina Faso), traditional leaders (from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo), leaders of NARS and university programs, regional institutions’ representatives.