Health Ministry Unveils Roadmap to Transform Disease Detection in Sierra Leone

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS), through its Directorate of Clinical Laboratories, has taken a significant step towards strengthening Sierra Leone’s diagnostic capacity for acute febrile illness (AFI) by developing a national roadmap.

The initiative aims to improve the timely and accurate diagnosis and management of febrile illnesses, strengthen disease surveillance, promote the appropriate use of antimicrobial medicines, and enhance the country’s preparedness for disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.

As part of the process, the Ministry, in collaboration with the Integrated Public Health Laboratories Programme under the Directorate of Biomedical Services of the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), convened a three-day stakeholder workshop from July 29 to 31, 2026, with funding support from HEADA.

The workshop brought together key national stakeholders and technical partners to develop a Costed National Roadmap for the Expansion of Acute Febrile Illness Diagnostic Capacity in Sierra Leone.

During the workshop, participants assessed the country’s existing AFI diagnostic system and identified critical gaps in laboratory infrastructure, diagnostic platforms, human resources, biosafety and biosecurity, quality management systems, specimen referral networks, supply chains, data management, and coordination.

Participants also identified priority interventions, established implementation timelines, assigned institutional responsibilities, estimated resource requirements, and agreed on mechanisms for monitoring implementation.

According to the Ministry of Health, the roadmap will serve as a strategic framework to guide coordinated investment, phased implementation, and the continuous improvement of AFI diagnostic services nationwide.

It is also expected to support the safe and sustainable decentralisation of appropriate testing, strengthen collaboration between clinical services, laboratories, and surveillance systems, and enhance the early detection of priority and emerging diseases.

The Ministry noted that the roadmap aligns with Sierra Leone’s broader health sector priorities and international health security commitments.