Dr. Austin Demby has called for equitable and rapid pandemic financing mechanisms that support vulnerable countries before health crises emerge.
Dr. Demby made the appeal on Thursday, 21 May 2026, during a high-level panel discussion at the ongoing 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) on the theme “Scaling Innovative Financing for the Next Pandemic,” organized by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The discussion was chaired by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and moderated by Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer of Gavi.
During the session, Dr. Demby warned that Sierra Leone is already experiencing the effects of global instability, including a 40 percent increase in domestic fuel prices linked to the Middle East crisis and growing uncertainty surrounding pharmaceutical supply replenishment.
The Health Minister highlighted Sierra Leone’s expanding preparedness framework, including the Public Health Emergency Trust Fund established in 2023, the operational Pandemic Fund under the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), and the National Health Compact 2025-2030, which serves as the country’s coordination platform for emergency and health systems financing.
Drawing lessons from the Ebola outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent Mpox response, Dr. Demby emphasized that preparedness cannot be separated from strong and functional everyday health systems.
“Preparedness cannot be separated from strong everyday health systems, including frontline workers, surveillance systems, supply chains, community trust, and domestic financing capacity,” he stated.
He further explained that Sierra Leone’s surveillance system is integrated into primary healthcare because outbreaks often begin and are ultimately controlled within communities.
Dr. Demby stressed that strengthening surveillance, preparedness, prevention, detection, and response systems remain essential for effective outbreak management and national resilience.
The Minister concluded by urging global partners to build equity into pandemic financing instruments from the outset, noting that countries most vulnerable to outbreaks are often the least able to absorb financing gaps during the critical first 30 days of a public health emergency.