By Nasratu Kargbo
A representative from World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Innocent B. Nuwagira has commended Sierra Leone for its government’s commitment to health sector reform.
He was speaking on the final day of the Universal Health Preparedness Review (UHPR) held in Sierra Leone from the 2nd to the 4th of May 2023.
Dr. Nuwagira whilst responding to questions on some of the best practices other countries can learn from Sierra Leone as far as the review is concerned, stated that “the high-level commitment is something that every country would want to learn from”.
He explained that they have not only shown commitment but also in his engagement with them, realized that they are well- informed and they care about understanding what happens in the health system. He said that such an attribute is worth emulating.
The Representative also acknowledged the commitment of the nation’s technical teams, explaining that Sierra Leone is one of the countries that have a large number of experts in epidemic preparedness.
Nuwagira added that the government has also passed relevant laws such as the Public Health Act, which establishes the public health agency that seeks to put all efforts of government and the public to work together to coordinate emergencies.
He noted that the government has not only made commitments in terms of leadership, but in different spheres.
Records show the country has increased its health expenditure in the past four years, from 6% to 11.6%.
The Minister of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) Austin Demby in his statement explained the country’s COVID experience, saying that the government was able to bring everybody together during the planning and response phase. He said when they heard of the first COVID case, President Julius Maada Bio established a Presidential Task Force that had all other ministries, the private sector, and CSOs etc. coming together in the operation and implementation of actions.
He explained that representatives from WHO in other parts of the world came to understand how Sierra Leone has built a robust system that is able to adequately detect and respond to emergencies.
Sierra Leone is the first country in the ECOWAS region to host the UHPR event, second in Africa, and fifth in the world.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (05/05/23)
