By George M.O. Williams
November 2025: Sierra Leone has concluded a three-day national workshop in Freetown to advance the development of the National Health Sector Strategic Plan (NHSSP) 2026–2030, a key milestone in the country’s efforts to accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and strengthen national health security.
The workshop brought together more than 120 stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Health, related ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, and the wider health sector. The process was led by the Ministry of Health with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners.
The new five-year strategy will build on lessons from the outgoing NHSSP 2021–2025, which concludes next year. The workshop opened with a presentation of findings from the End-Term Review of the current plan, conducted by the NHSSP core team alongside national and international consultants. The review provided an evidence-based foundation for discussions on emerging priorities, persistent challenges, and areas requiring greater investment.
Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, underscored the transformative nature of the planning process, urging a unified national vision.
“This moment calls for bold action. The next five years of healthcare in Sierra Leone must be defined by our collective vision, not our constraints. We are reimagining a system that delivers high-quality care for every person, strengthens our communities, and uses real-time data to solve problems before they grow,” he said.
Partner Support
WHO provided technical expertise throughout the process, deploying four international experts to support the development of the new strategy. UNICEF also contributed through a national consultant.
WHO Country Representative, Dr. George Ameh, emphasized the importance of a coherent plan that reflects realities at national, district, and community levels.
“The plan must serve as a common reference point for all partners, ensuring alignment, reducing fragmentation, and promoting accountability,” he noted, reaffirming WHO’s commitment to the
Over the three days, participants worked collaboratively to shape strategic objectives and proposed interventions. Deliberations reinforced the principle of “One Plan, One Budget, One Report” in line with the Ministry’s Aid Memoire, strengthening coherence across programmes and directorates.
The workshop concluded with clear recommendations and well-defined priorities aimed at addressing the health needs of Sierra Leoneans by 2030. Key focus areas include:
- Strengthening primary health care
- Improving service delivery at community level
- Enhancing critical systems such as the health workforce, infrastructure, and supply chains
As Sierra Leone moves into the next phase of NHSSP development, the country is taking decisive steps toward building a more resilient, equitable, and people-centred health system capable of delivering quality care for all.