The Minister of Health of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Austin Demby, Deputy Minister of Health 1, Professor Dr. Charles Senessie and His Excellency Lansana Gberie, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, have participated in the opening of the Seventy – Seventh World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

The World Health Assembly is a supreme decision-making body for the WHO. It holds annually for all Member States of the World Health Organisation, and focuses on a specific health agenda to determine the policy of the organization prepared by the Executive Board.

This year’s Health Assembly on the theme “All for Health, Health for All”, discussed global strategies on a range of issues including a pandemic agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations including WHO sustainable financing.

At the high-level segment of the Assembly, statements were made by the elected Health Assembly President, United Nations Secretary-General, Heads of States, special guests, and the presentation of the Director-General’s Health Awards to Professor Katalin Kariko and Professor Drew Weissman for thier ground breaking scientific work which lead the development of vaccine against COVID-19.

In his address, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, outlined WHO’s five priorities- health development, health security, health systems, evidence and convening going forward, expanding from the vision delivered at the Executive Board meeting held in January and June 2024, called for adoption of the agenda by member states.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called on the Member States to strongly commits itself to Universal Health Coverage by strengthening Primary Healthcare Systems and stressed the importance of building a healthy world through multi-lateralism.

Sierra Leone is part of the WHO and it is constructively engaging with Member States on Universal health coverage. Sierra Leone’s new National Health Sector Strategic Plan 2021-2025 spelt out that the determination of the health professionals in the country to once again contribute the path of health and wellness, making significant strides in reducing maternal and child mortality, diarrhea, malaria HIV, malnutrition, and other communicable diseases.

From national and international health organisations, Sierra Leone has received several commendations for its resilience during the Ebola virus disease, COVID-19 and other outbreaks in recent times.

In many national and international addresses, President Julius Maada Bio has reiterated that good healthcare is a right that all Sierra Leoneans should be able to count on, whether they are born in a village or city, rich or poor, young or old, abled or disabled.