On Tuesday 19th December, 2023, the Health Sector Strategic Group (HSSG) in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) has met with health development partners to improve SRHR programme leadership and governance by providing platforms for showcasing sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) implementing partner activities.
The meeting held once every month was organised by the Chief Medical Officer, (CMO) Dr Sartie Kenneh. The meeting was held on Tuesday 19th at the Ministry’s Conference Room at Youi-Building in Freetown. Dr Kenneh said the meeting was also held to strengthen SRH partner coordination, implemention and oversight.
In his opening remakes, CMO Kenneh welcomed all participants in the meeting and comended heath partners for their continuous support to MoHS and contributions to health service delivery.
He touched on the importance of quarterly meetings with their partners in addition to the monthly HSSG meetings and joint review of the progress of key activities and discussion on key challenges to find solutions and improve the country’s health outcomes.
Representative from Health Development Partners (HDP) heaped praises on Dr Kenneh and his team for good collaboration and suggesting a key leadership quarterly meeting.
He assured the public that partners will keep updating MoHS on the ongoing activities to enhance accountability and value for money.
Speaking further, he said, CMO had recommended the quarterly submission of partners updates on key deliverables and set up smart presentations of the milestones and timelines using the Gantt Chart model/ in an RII format.
The HDP representative also promised to prepare for dissemination and discussion at the next quarterly meeting on a Gantt Chart on the setting of an emergency situation room.
One of the participants, Dr Tom Sesay said life stages approach is being implemented in different strategies and appreciated the initiative to formalise the framework and ensure that they left no one behind.
During the discussions, it was noted that the draft life stages approach framework had similar sections to Essential Health Service package and recommended harmonising the two documents which are all important.
Dr Sesay mentioned challenges faced by the Health Development Partners at the service delivery.
He assured that MoHS had agreed that all goods and medical related consignment should be cleared within 5 days upon arrival and should be taken to the bonded warehouse.
It was also agreed that the primary point of contact for this process should be the donor Coordination Office and that all clearing should be done within 10 days starting from the inception stage.
Progress, he said, would be evaluated on weekly basis. It was agreed that all proactive steps taken should seek to improve utilisation before 10th February, 2024.
Buttressing, the CMO Dr Kenneh said he had met with the British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone and discussed their support to the MoHS and assured to launch their programme along with their partners.
He talked on the MCC scorecard, emphasising that the MoHS did well in immunisation, but could not also pass on child health saying there is a need for deep dive on it. He also told the public that Child Health Programme had been launched to support the indicator.
World Health Organisation (WHO) representative sheds light on the minister’s request to conduct institutional maternal and child morality, after the publication of UN estimates on maternal mortality, for deep analysis of the country’s figures, comparing with global estimates.
“This will help for a clear understanding of maternal and child morality in the country,” WHO representative assured revealing that WHO had provided support for four international and two national consultants.
He said the recruitment process was initiated and work had been in progress, adding that for warehouse project had committed $6m, LAD-$2m, FCDO$2m and the government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) $2m, MD-NMSA to take the lead in the process.
On Universal Health Preparedness Review (UHPR), he said is a high level and political commitment to review the country’s preparedness capacities.
He said Sierra Leone was the 2nd Africa country to conduct UHPR after Car and the 1st non-emergency country whose mission took place on 1st and 14th May, 2023.
He disclosed that the Secretariat and a commission involving others were created. It was recommended to reactivate the existing committee of UHC and revise the list of remembers and shared with them the official nomination letter.
Director, Health For All Coalition, Charles Mambu who was representing all civil societies in the meeting highlighted areas of intended cooperation and commitment with MoHS and development partners.
He assured that civil societies are committed to working with MoHS-SLA Secretariat to ensure local councils, CSOs, the media and DTs are regularly updated on the SLA process on regular basis, including sharing signed SLAs.
Other commitment include, monitoring and evaluation activities, awareness raising and information sharing, feedback meetings and reviews.
Mr Mambu said CSOs will participate in HSSG meetings to present feedbacks from districts, chiefdoms and communities adding that they will be presenting findings from communities monthly on health project implemented.
He ended up by calling on MoHS-SLA/ Donor Coordination Office to create a platform to regularly share information or data on health implementing partner activities to local councils, DHMTs, CSOs and the media.