Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, has issued a powerful and motivational call for West Africa to take full ownership of its health future, urging ECOWAS Health Ministers to embrace data-driven innovation as the foundation for transforming healthcare systems across the region.
By Anthony Gray
Delivering keynote address at the opening of the 27th Ordinary Session of Health Ministers of the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO), Dr. Sengeh challenged regional leaders to rethink approaches to health delivery and build systems rooted in African realities, powered by technology, and guided by evidence.
He emphasized that West Africa stands at a defining moment where it must move beyond dependency on imported health models and instead develop homegrown, context-specific solutions capable of addressing persistent challenges such as maternal, neonatal and child mortality.
According to him, investment in Health is one of the most consequential investments that any responsible Government would make as a Central pillar of it’s country developmental agenda as it would safe citizens from preventable deaths among others.
“We must prioritize our people by making the right investments in Health,” he stressed.
At the heart of his address was the introduction of the Freetown Charter, a bold structuring innovation designed to reshape health governance across the region.
The Charter promotes the integration of digital technologies, real time data systems, and artificial intelligence into national and regional health strategies.
According to Dr. Sengeh, the goal of the Freetown Charter is to improve decision making, strengthen health system accountability and enable early detection and response mechanisms that can save lives more efficiently and effectively.
The initiative under the Freetown Charter signals a deliberate shift toward co- created solutions designed by Africans, for Africans, and aligned with the specific needs of communities across ECOWAS member states.
Dr. Sengeh’s message resonated as both a challenge and an inspiration to fellow ministers: that West Africa possesses the talent, innovation and capacity to lead a global example in health transformation.
He stressed that digital health systems and artificial intelligence should not be viewed as distant concepts, but as practical tools that can revolutionize how health services are delivered, monitored, and improved across the region.