Minister of Health, Austin Demby, is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, representing Sierra Leone at the inaugural Board Meeting of the Health Intelligence Centres for Africa (HICA).

According to the Ministry of Health, Sierra Leone is not just attending; it is a proud founding member of this global alliance.

HICA is a continental initiative designed to provide African nations with reliable health data, digital tools, and evidence to guide policy, strengthen service delivery, and respond swiftly to public health threats. This mission mirrors Sierra Leone’s own progress at home.

Joining Minister Demby in Addis is Dr. Joseph David Koroma, head of Sierra Leone’s Health Information Hub in Freetown. Since its launch, the Hub has been transforming health data management by replacing paper records with real-time dashboards. These systems now allow decision-makers to track maternal and child indicators, disease trends, respond to emergencies, and plan timely healthcare interventions down to district levels.

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Minister Demby said Sierra Leone’s health system is on a transformative digital footing, and as a founding member, the nation helps steer HICA’s Strategic Advisory Board on the issues that matter most for country ownership of health data, data sovereignty, and ethical governance.

Following the HICA Board Meeting, Minister Demby will represent Sierra Leone at the 76th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC76), where decisions will shape Africa’s health policies and investments for the next decade.