Sierra Leone is now prepared to respond to any health emergency -. Health Minister

By Ibrahim Sorie Koroma

Health Education Officer –HED/ MoHS

Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Alpha Tejan Wurie has said that the Ministry of Health and Sanitation is now prepared to respond to any health and health related emergency in the country.

The Minister of Health was speaking during an engagement with media on Sierra Leone’s National Action Plan for Health Security in the conference hall of the Ministry of Health in Freetown.

Dr Wurie called on journalists to promote the National Action Plan for Health Security which was developed by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and its partners to strengthen the relevant health structures. He said that the country is in the position to quickly detect any health and health related emergencies and respond to them.

Dr Wurie reiterated that they now have rapid response team in each district and trained surveillance officers, and laboratories which are capable enough to quickly detect any emergency related diseases.

He further said that the country can now boast of 22 trained and qualified Sierra Leonean field epidemiologists, although he noted there is need to train more. He said that Sierra Leone will be among the first six countries in Africa to have developed and launched the National Action Plan for Health Security.

For his part, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Amara Jambai said that at the national level they now have the Directorate of Health Security and Emergencies at the Emergency Operation Centre on Wilkinson Road which coordinators partners on Health and health related emergencies in the country with branches in the districts.

Dr. Jambai also said that the National Action Plan for Health Security is a guide for the country on health emergencies and a reference point for health and development partners.

While dilating on the issue of Community Engagement, Dr. Jambai said that they were now moving from community mobilization to community engagement, which he noted is a process, but not an event in which community stakeholders are seen taking active role thereby capacitated to take action for their health.