Freetown/Addis Ababa – In a landmark week for the nation’s health sector, Sierra Leone has confidently emerged onto the regional stage with the official launch of its National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP), a comprehensive roadmap designed to transform the surgical landscape and save numerous lives.
The historic plan was officially unveiled in Freetown on October 31, 2025, by the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Austine Demby. The launch paved the way for a compelling presentation days later at the 3rd Pan African Surgical Healthcare Forum (PASHeF) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the plan’s architect, Dr. med. Mustapha Kabba, shared his visionary core with a pan-African audience.
In his address, Dr Kabba laid bare the heart of the NSOAP, moving beyond statistics to focus on its profound impact on the lives of ordinary Sierra Leoneans. He detailed ambitious, measurable targets designed to bridge critical healthcare gaps:
- Expanding the Specialist Workforce: Increasing from a density of 1.6 to 5 per 100,000 people.
- Expanding the overall surgical workforce: from approximately 4.5 to 10 per 100,000.
- Expanding Access to Surgery: from 505 to 1000 procedures per 100,000 population, ensuring more citizens can receive the lifesaving and life-changing operations they need.
- Financial Protection: creation of a sustainable surgical financing model aimed at drastically reducing the out-of-pocket expenses that serve as a barrier.
“This plan is more than a document; it is a covenant with the people of Sierra Leone,” Dr Kabba stated. “We are placing the community at the very centre of its implementation and ensuring complete ownership and leadership from the Ministry of Health. This is about strengthening our surgical governance to address the high unmet surgical need, build a system that is resilient, sustainable, accountable, and responsive.”
While acknowledging the challenges of limited funding, infrastructure deficits, and workforce shortages that explain the unmet needs, Dr Kabba struck a resolutely optimistic tone. He highlighted the government’s potent leverage: the unwavering political will from the highest levels, strategic partnerships with non-governmental organisations such as Mercy Ships, CapaCare, Smile Train, UN agencies, and the WHO, as well as regional collaboration through the Western African College of Surgeons (WACS) and forums, such as PASHeF.
In a symbolic act cementing Sierra Leone’s commitment, Dr Kabba formally presented the NSOAP to the PASHeF community, handing the document to the Forum’s Chairman, Professor Abeba. This gesture marks Sierra Leone’s entry into an elite group of African nations that have developed and committed to such a National surgical plan.
The launch of the NSOAP signals a new chapter for surgical healthcare in Sierra Leone. It is a testament to the nation’s determination to build a healthier, more prosperous future where every citizen has the right to quality, affordable, and timely surgical care.