By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
Speaking at the Validation of the One Health Governance Manual, the National One Health Technical Coordinator, Joseph Anderson Bun ting-Graden has said Sierra Leone is far ahead in terms of One Health Platform in the West African sub-region.
Bunting-Graden was speaking on the topic of Validation of the One Health Governance Manual at a two-day reviewing process from 21St to 22nd September this year at the Radisson Blu Conference Hall.
He said Sierra Leone is one of the few countries with a governance manual in terms of the One Health Platform. “That is a plus to us,’’ he added. Having engaged other international flora, Bunting-Graden said Sierra Leone is far ahead in terms of One Health.
He said the document “is subject to review in the process of time,’’ adding they had come to the stage of validating a document that started off with a review at the national level and an engagement at the district level, about preparedness and response to health emergencies. He noted that the engagements were successful.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the programme, Rashid Koroma said they would coordinate among schools and departments, and collaborate with all institutional instructors and professional experts ‘within and outside’ for them all to embrace One Health. ’’Our curriculum will have to take into cognizance of the three Cs, Cooperation, Collaboration, and Coordination,’’ he said.
Director of Health Security and Emergencies at the Ministry of Health, Mohamed A. Vandi said One Health is extremely important nowadays. He recalled that One Health was graded ‘very low’ last year because their documents were not updated, but that they wanted to ‘push up’ with the new governance manual to fill all the gaps that the old manual had. “Comparatively, we are far better than any of our counterparts in the sub-region as far as one health is concerned,’’ he added. He called on partners to meet to review their data about issues of public health emergencies. He said the country needs to be prepared in the event of an outbreak of disease.
In her address, the Deputy Director Livestock and Veterinary Service Division, Lydia B. Sesay said there are MDAs that are key to one health, as the platform is intertwined with several sectors. On validating the governance manual, she said they should take cognizance of everybody’s ‘governance knowledge.’
For them at the veterinary service, she said their role would help One Health ‘to stand the test of time’ saying healthy animals would give healthy humans, the environment, and plants.
Deputy Director of EPA-SL, Mo-Bashiru Idriss spoke of how they had to add new players in ensuring human health and promised the Ministry of Environment’s continued support to the activities of one health.
In response to disease outbreaks like the devastating Ebola in Sierra Leone in 2014, the Government of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with international partners and stakeholders, established the One Health Platform in 2017. At that time, it was established to foster cooperation between sectors and harness synergies for more effective prevention, detection, and response to health threats.
The reviewed governance manual of One Health encompasses transparency, accountability, and participation.
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