By: Mohamed Sahr Mohamedsahrpro@Gmail.Com
In an effort to stopping the circle panic of pandemics and building for the future, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with World Health Organization and Africa`s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has examined key roadmaps to boosting health security in the country on Monday 6th November 2023 at Youyi building in Freetown.
Speaking on the relevance of the country’s preparedness ahead of futuristic pandemics and diseases, Professor Charles Senesie, Deputy Minister 1 of Ministry of Health said even though Sierra Leone has gone through a lot of health related challenges over the years, but the country remains resilient and committed to combat any pandemic or disease as a result of the structural facilities being established in recent times.
“There is a lot we can learn from and which is why we are welcoming this initiative by our partners,” Prof Senesie mentioned.
He emphasized that the Ministry is opened to a collaborative planning ahead of the next pandemic that would tend to ravage the country.
Prof Senesie said Sierra Leone is working towards formidable networking and plans to making sure the country lands on a safer lane; adding that this is a global plan to fight against unforeseen pandemics with a shared vision for the success of the Africa continent.
Dr. Solomon Woldetsadik, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative noted that their visit to Sierra Leone aims at strengthening the health security and emergency capacity to implement the Emergency Preparedness and Response initiatives.
He furthered that the Initiative would follow a recommendation by African Health Ministers to adopt a new strategy in order to transform health security in the region during the seventy-second session of WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Lome,Togo last year.
Dr. Woldetsadik added that WHO is focusing on solidarity and preparedness; strive for a healthier and more resilient Sierra Leone and contributing to enhanced global health security. “The Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Flagship Scoping Mission 2023 exemplifies WHO’s global commitment to equitable health preparedness and response,” WHO Rep said.
He stated that the mission reinforces a statement from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General which affirms that the world must stop the circle of panic and neglect when it comes to pandemic preparedness; adding that the world do not want COVID-19 to repeat, vaccine nationalism to repeat and the world do not want people dying from lack of oxygen to repeat.
Dr. Radjabu Bigirimana, Africa CDC Team Lead said there is a need for better health security in Sierra Leone and across Africa based on the fact the African region faces high burden of disease and other underlying health issues. He emphasized that the emergence of COVID-19 exposed the gap in terms of limited workforce, weak health systems, poor information management and urgency to strengthen emergency prevention, capacity and response resilient.
Dr. Bigirimana revealed that there have been high capacity buildups within the six regions with Africa lagging behind with regards to health security.
He noted that another challenge Africa falls back with is sustainable capacity and improvement.
“The over picture of Sierra Leone’s health awareness progress is 56% in 2023 as compared to 2022 which was 46%,” Dr. Bigirimana stated.
He said the objective of the mission is to jointly work with the MoH to identify priorities to sustain health security in Sierra Leone together with partners.
