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Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health, Austin Demby, PhD, MPH, joined global health leaders, ministers and development partners in Tokyo, Japan, for the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) High-Level Forum, where participants emphasized shared learning and whole-of-government collaboration to accelerate progress toward UHC.
Dr. Demby presented Sierra Leone’s bold and transformative UHC agenda, anchored in the innovative 4 A’s Framework Accompaniment, Alignment, Acceleration and Accountability. He noted that this framework continues to shape the country’s approach to health sector reform and development partner coordination.
The Minister outlined key actions currently being implemented to strengthen healthcare delivery, including:
Adoption of the Life Stages Approach, ensuring that services align with population needs across all phases of life.
Strengthening of the Free Health Care Initiative and preparations for the launch of the Sierra Leone National Health Insurance Scheme (SLeSHI).
Scaling up digital health systems and data-driven management to enhance efficiency in service delivery.
Implementation of a reinforced Health Financing Strategy, grounded in transparency, accountability and innovative resource mobilization.
Dr. Demby reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s ambitious 2030 health goals, which include:
Reducing maternal mortality to below 70 per 100,000 live births.
Reducing under-five mortality to below 25 per 1,000 live births.
Expanding financial risk protection and insurance coverage.
Shielding the poorest households from catastrophic health expenditure.
He also expressed appreciation to President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, citing his visionary leadership in human capital development and nation-building as a driving force behind the country’s progress toward universal health coverage and resilient health systems.
The Tokyo forum reaffirmed global commitment to One Plan, One Budget, One Report, stronger partner alignment, sustainable financing and digital transformation as key pathways toward achieving Health for All by 2030.
