By Kemo Cham
Preparations are underway for a national conference aimed at rebuilding Sierra Leone`s healthcare system.
The three days meeting slated for February is being held under the concept of Open Space Conference, wherein participants will discuss in a relaxed and more informal manner, a major departure from the traditional formal setting.
Open Space Conferences are participant-driven meetings, with the goal of encouraging every one`s participation.
The idea of the Sierra Leone conference is to have everyone`s contribution, from the politician to the policy make and the farmer, say the organizers.
The German Institute for Medical Mission (DIFAEM) is sponsoring the conference in collaboration with its local partner, the Sierra Leone Adult Education Association (SLADEA).
The ‘Inclusive National Conference to Improve Healthcare in Post-Ebola Sierra Leone’, as the conference has been named, will bring together 150 people drawn from diverse works of life to represent every aspect of Sierra Leone and to discuss on how to improve the country`s healthcare system, which was brought down to its knees by the Ebola epidemic.
Similar conferences are been organized in Liberia and Guinea, which were also ravaged by Ebola.
“The rational here is to create a space where all where all stakeholders will engage deeply, dialogue and explore potentials and opportunities to restore effective and efficient healthcare systems in the three countries,” reads a statement from the organizers.
On Thursday December 3, a pre-conference meeting organized for 15 people discussed and chose the theme and participants for the February conference. They also deliberated on their expectations from the conference, which organizers say will make part of the discussion topics.
(C) Politico Online 03/12/15
