Civil society organisations (CSOs) across Africa have collectively urged the Sierra Leonean government to accelerate the creation of a dedicated public health emergency agency.
This appeal was made on Wednesday in Abuja, during the Africa Regional Advocacy Summit for NGOs and the media. Organised by the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), the three-day event centred on the theme “Capacity Building, Peer Learning and Exchange on Accountability for Domestic Resource Mobilisation for Health Security and Systems in Africa”. The summit brought together participants from Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Addressing the gathering, the coordinator of AHBN, Dr. Aminu Magashi highlighted the global health crisis and the imperative of a strengthened healthcare system. He underscored the necessity of establishing a dedicated institution capable of effectively responding to public health emergencies in Sierra Leone and called on the government to prioritise this initiative.
Magashi delved into the reasons underpinning the coalition’s appeal and expounded on the potential advantages of establishing a Public Health Emergency Agency in Sierra Leone.
“The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the vulnerabilities of healthcare systems worldwide, including those in Sierra Leone. As the nation continues to grapple with the repercussions of infectious diseases, advocating for the establishment of a public health emergency agency has become essential,” he asserted.
Further emphasising this call, the chair of the Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC), Mrs. Chika Offor highlighted the significance of a centralised and coordinated approach in handling public health emergencies.
“At present, various government departments and agencies share the responsibility of managing such emergencies, leading to a fragmented and less efficient response. By instituting a dedicated agency, Sierra Leone can ensure a more coherent and effective response to future health crises,” Offor explained.
Also, Offor argued that a public health emergency agency would bolster preparedness and response capabilities.
“Such an agency could be tasked with developing and implementing comprehensive emergency response plans, conducting regular drills and simulations, and collaborating with international partners to access resources and expertise. This proactive strategy would better equip Sierra Leone to anticipate and mitigate the impact of future public health emergencies,” she emphasised.
The project officer for Health Alert Sierra Leone (HASIL), Mr. David Aliyu chimed in, highlighting that establishing a Public Health Emergency Agency would instil public trust and confidence in the government’s ability to manage health crises effectively. Aliyu pointed out that with a specialised institution dedicated solely to public health emergencies, citizens would have a clear point of contact and a heightened sense of assurance that their well-being is the government’s priority.
During the event, a health economist and monitoring and evaluation specialist at AHBN, Mrs. Maimuma Abdullahi outlined the summit’s objectives. These included enhancing delegates’ capacities in budget analysis, advocacy, and transparency for domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) in the context of health security. The summit also sought to foster peer learning and exchange among country delegates regarding accountability for domestic resource mobilisation for health security and systems in Africa. Moreover, the event aimed to revise and adopt country work plans based on project sub-grant agreements.
Abdullahi noted that the project was funded by the Ford Foundation through the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) in eight targeted African countries to promote accountability for COVID-19 recovery and equitable access. She lamented that accountability for COVID-19 funds remained a significant challenge, along with insufficient access to public information regarding government COVID-19 expenditures and financial support for COVID-19 from global and regional financial institutions and donors.
Additionally, Abdullahi disclosed that the Summit aimed to bolster accountability for COVID-19 finances and vaccine access in Africa, with a current earmarked and provided amount of $200,000 across the eight countries.
