Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday 24 May 2022 – In a bid to complement President Bio’s vision of ensuring all Sierra Leoneans have access to quality health care as a right, the Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr Austin Demby, has had a productive and fascinating engagement with Madam Cynthia Mwase, Head of Africa and Middle East Department, Global Fund.
The team at the Global Fund headquarters in Geneva would discuss cooperation and technical assistance for direct Global Fund support to Sierra Leone.
The Global Fund is a partnership designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as an epidemic. As an international organization, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests more than US$4 billion every year to support programs run by local experts in more than 100 countries. In partnership with governments, civil society, technical agencies, the private sector and people affected by the diseases.
During the briefing, the Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr Austin Demby, disclosed that Kerry Town Warehouse in Freetown, continuous functionality of Central Public Health Reference, Laboratory Services, Oxygen Plants Installation in PortLoko, 34 Hospital and the PCMH/Ola During Children’s Hospital, among other things, are thematic priority areas in Sierra Leone’s Universal Health Coverage Roadmap 2021-2030. He went further to say that the National Health Sector Strategic Plan (NHSSP) would be implemented from 2021 to 2025.
The Health Minister said, Sierra Leone, has taken active steps to reform key departments that would create a conducive environment for Cooperation and Technical support.
‘’ Sierra Leone is investing 11.6 % of the country’s budget in the Health Sector. The government is committed to strengthening access to quality health care nationwide,’’ the health minister noted.
In response, Madam Cynthia Mwase, conveyed profound appreciation for the engagement, describing the meeting as timely and productive.
She said the Global Fund has been supporting Sierra Leone to prevent and treat HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis. She assured the Minister of her organisation’s support for Sierra Leone.
A high-power delegation will be sent to Sierra Leone next month to follow up on the progress made over the years, and the Team is expected to meet with His Excellency, President Dr Julius Maada Bio.
The groundwork of these productive meetings were facilitated by the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva, Switzerland, Dr Lansana Gberie.
The Global Fund provides 56% of all international financing for malaria programs (39% of total available resources) and has invested more than US$14.7 billion in malaria control programs as of June 2021. Since 2020, the Global Fund has provided additional funding through the COVID-19 Response Mechanism to countries to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the malaria response.
Sierra Leone is one of the beneficiaries of the Global Fund 157 million dollars grant.
By Mohamed Sheriff, Information Attaché, Geneva, Switzerland