Freetown, Sierra Leone – In a main increase to Sierra Leone’s health sector, the World Health Organization (WHO) has donated medical affords and equipment worth over $640,000 to strengthen the Ministry of Health and the Nationwide Public Health Company (NPHA).
Right here’s the third donation of mpox withhold watch over laboratory and medical affords since the onset of mpox outbreak in January 2025, marking the ideal to the country this year. The affords impartial to strengthen the nationwide response to mpox and reinforce broader health programmes including HIV and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI).
The official handover ceremony took advise at the Emergency Operations Center of the NPHA in Freetown, the set up WHO Marketing consultant Dr George Ameh supplied the items to the Honourable Deputy Minister of Health 1, Professor Charles Senessie.
The donation targets three important health priorities: the response to mpox, HIV services, and immunization coverage. Among the many affords are private protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers, GeneXpert cartridges and other wanted laboratory materials for mpox diagnosis and monitoring, as successfully as wintry chain equipment to strengthen HIV and immunization carrier birth.
Dr George Ameh emphasised WHO’s ongoing dedication to international health security and its partnership with Sierra Leone. “We are entirely chuffed to hand over these wanted affords which is ready to instantly contribute to the mpox response and lend a hand create prolonged-term health scheme resilience. Strengthening health infrastructure today is an investment in the country’s future skill to prevent and answer to public health threats.”
The donated equipment will instantly strengthen the ongoing mpox response and contribute to broader health scheme resilience. Because the country continous to portray recent instances, the affords are anticipated to strengthen laboratory skill, improve case detection and monitoring, invent certain the safety of healthcare workers whereas strengthening HIV and immunization programmes.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Government Director of the NPHA, Dr James Squire, Incident Supervisor for the mpox response, Professor Senessie expressed appreciation for WHO’s partnership.
“We thank WHO for this generous donation and guarantee you this would possibly well presumably per chance also be inclined for the intended reason to strengthen the health sector and improve health outcomes for the individuals of Sierra Leone. This donation would possibly presumably no longer own attain at a more important time. This would possibly well presumably also impartial straight strengthen ongoing efforts to contain the outbreak and defend health workers on the frontline,” he illustrious.
This contribution is piece of WHO’s broader strengthen to strengthen health security, improve emergency preparedness, and come universal health coverage in Sierra Leone.
Thanks to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance and The Global Fund for the generous strengthen.