By: Saidu Jalloh
The National Public Health Agency (NPHA) has officially launched its process toward International Organization for Standardization (ISO) accreditation, beginning with a leadership orientation held at its Wilberforce headquarters.
The meeting was chaired by Executive Director Professor Foday Sahr and attended by Deputy Executive Director Dr. Mohamed Alex Vandi, along with directors, managers, and coordinators of the agency.
The session introduced the Staged Development Tool (SDT), a self-assessment framework designed to guide National Public Health Institutes toward institutional strengthening and global best practices. The tool enables agencies to evaluate their performance in a structured and confidential setting, encouraging open dialogue and internal accountability.
Public health expert Dr. Eric Ikoona, who facilitated the session, described the SDT as a pathway to institutional excellence and ISO accreditation. He explained that the framework provides a systematic approach to strengthening governance, operational systems, and quality standards in line with international benchmarks.
According to the presentation, the SDT operates on a four-stage maturity model Basic, Developing, Advanced, and Leading Edge across six assessment domains: Strategic Direction, Systems, Resources, Quality, Engagement, and Impact. Each directorate within the agency is expected to conduct guided assessments and develop a Capacity Portfolio identifying strengths, gaps, and priority actions.
Dr. Ikoona emphasized that coordination among directorates and the development of a clear implementation roadmap will be critical to achieving ISO accreditation.
In his closing remarks, Professor Sahr stressed that the process represents more than a compliance exercise. “ISO recognition is not just about meeting standards; it is about demonstrating that Sierra Leone’s public health systems operate at the highest levels of quality, safety, and efficiency,” he said.
The ISO accreditation process is expected to position the NPHA as a regional model for public health systems strengthening.