By Michael Oche
The Organization of Trade Unions of West Africa (OTUWA) has stepped up efforts to challenge the rising trend of medical travel by political elites, by enhancing the advocacy capacity of trade union leaders and communicators across the region.
Through a regional virtual training on Communication and Effective Advocacy held on May 22, 2023, OTUWA equipped union representatives from several ECOWAS member states with strategic tools to influence public policy, amplify workers’ voices, and challenge systemic inequalities in the health sector.
A key focus of the training was the issue of elite medical tourism, a practice where high-ranking public officials seek medical care abroad, while domestic healthcare systems remain underfunded and overstretched.
Participants during the training examined how this pattern reinforces inequality and undermines the right of citizens to access quality healthcare.
Backed by recent research conducted in partnership with the Solidarity Center, OTUWA presented evidence showing how elite medical travel correlates with the chronic neglect of public hospitals in West Africa.
The findings revealed that political preference for foreign healthcare often diverts attention and resources away from building robust, accessible health systems at home.
In his remarks, OTUWA Executive Secretary Comrade John Odah called on unions and civil society organizations to mobilize against what he termed “elite medical escape routes.”
He stressed the need for robust legislative frameworks and public accountability measures to redirect resources toward improving national health systems.
“Workers and citizens deserve quality healthcare at home, not as an option for the few, but as a right for all,” Odah said, urging unions to deploy strategic advocacy and media campaigns to press for policy reform.
The training concluded with a joint resolution by participants to intensify union-led campaigns and strengthen communication networks across the region to push back against health inequality and demand better public services.
