The information management dimension of the impending offensive against medical tourism is now in place. This follows the end of a virtual high-impact regional training session on ‘Strategic Communication and Effective Advocacy’ on May 22, 2025. The session was for union leaders and communication officers across ECOWAS member states.
The training armed trade unionists with capacity to articulate the campaign against medical tourism in all its complexity, ranging from as a violation of the democratic rights of workers and citizens, a violation of the principle of equity, a practice injurious to social justice and equity and public goods principle across the region.
The training, according to information available to Intervention, had a major component in strategic messaging in the context of contemporary media profile, taking the diversity of target audience into consideration.
The Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa is pushing a major campaign against medical tourism or the practice whereby high-ranking political office holders use government money for their own medical care abroad while neglecting investment in public health systems at home.
The campaign is informed by a research by OTUWA with support from the Solidarity Center. OTUWA says the research report revealed a significant link between elite medical travel and underfunding of public healthcare in West Africa as well as increased inequality as ordinary citizens and workers are left with dilapidated health facilities, lack of basic medical supplies and a demotivated and overburdened health workers, particularly doctors, pharmacists, nurses and laboratory technologists. Consequently, many of them have migrated to greener pastures thereby worsening the healthcare services across the region. West Africa is regarded as a risk region in global health governance, an inference drawn from recent epidemic such as Ebola.
The campaign is aimed at halting this practice of medical tourism but it does not target private individuals who seek medical care with their own money..
Trade unionists who underwent the training have reached the conclusion that a union-led advocacy to halt this practice and redirect public resources toward stronger domestic healthcare systems is not only an imperative but urgent.
Speaking at the session, OTUWA Executive Secretary, Comrade John Odah urged trade unions and civil society actors to mobilize against elite medical escape routes, demand increased public health investment, and hold leaders accountable. “Workers and citizens deserve quality healthcare at home, not as an option for the few, but as a right for all”, Odah told his audience.
The Organization remains committed to strengthening advocacy networks, empowering union communicators, and ensuring that policy reforms truly reflect the needs of West Africa’s working people and other citizens, said the OTUWA leader.
West Africa appears heading for a storm with the OTUWA led campaign, given the multi-sectoral character of the offensive.
