Ministry of Health

Ministry of Health The Ministry of Health believes that access to sound health is a human right.

Its vision is to ensure a functional national health system that delivers efficient and quality health services that are accessible and affordable for all Sierra Leoneans.

05/06/2026

The Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, shares his excitement on the newly launched Sierra Leone’s Health Travel Portal at the Lungi International Airport.

05/06/2026

In preparation for the ongoing Ebola, outbreak in the DRC, health minister launches the country’s health travel portal at the Lungi International Airport.

05/06/2026

After three consecutive years of successful field services, providing free life-transforming surgical procedures for underserved communities, the biggest hospital ship, the Global Mercy, bids farewell as it prepares to leave the shores of Sierra Leone towards the end of this month. Here is a highlight of key moments in the farewell ceremony, onboard the Ship, attended by Julius Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

Ministry of Health Strengthens Hospital Hygiene Drive Across the Country.In a bold move to boost healthcare standards an...
31/05/2026

Ministry of Health Strengthens Hospital Hygiene Drive Across the Country.

In a bold move to boost healthcare standards and protect communities, the Ministry of Health has launched a nationwide hospital cleaning initiative — a synchronized effort across all government hospitals to create a safer, more hygienic environment for patients, staff, and visitors.

Nanah Fofannah, Program Manager for the National Infection, Prevention, and Control Program, highlighted the importance of this campaign: "When our hospital environments are clean, they do not only boost public confidence, but also significantly reduce healthcare-associated infections that threaten both patients and healthcare workers." She added, "This initiative is about strengthening our routine cleaning efforts and making hygiene a standard, not an exception."

With outbreaks like Ebola still a looming threat in the region, Fofannah emphasized that “outbreaks are often controlled or worsened at the health facility level, depending on how prepared and safe these facilities are.” Ensuring hospitals are properly equipped, sanitized, and ready to isolate suspected cases is vital for preventing widespread transmission.
According to Fofanah, this initiative stands as a testament to the country’s commitment to building a resilient, infection-free healthcare systems.

Together, we are building healthier, safer Sierra Leone.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH RECEIVES 18,000 AMPOULES OF LASSA FEVER DRUGS FROM CHINAThe Ministry of Health (MoH) earlier today re...
29/05/2026

MINISTRY OF HEALTH RECEIVES 18,000 AMPOULES OF LASSA FEVER DRUGS FROM CHINA

The Ministry of Health (MoH) earlier today received a consignment of 18,000 ampoules of donated Lassa Fever drugs from the Chinese Embassy. This timely support is expected to boost Sierra Leone’s capacity to respond to any potential Lassa Fever outbreak as well as protect frontline health workers and communities most vulnerable to the disease. The drugs will help strengthen treatment gaps in hotspot districts like Kenema, Bo, and Kailahun.

Receiving the Items un behalf of the Minister of Health, Austin Demby, PhD, MPH, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sartie Kenneh, thanked the Government and people of China for their continued partnership and support to the country’s health sector. He said;

“Partnerships like these remind us that global health security is a shared responsibility and China has always stood by Sierra Leone both during health outbreaks as well as during quiet moments. We remain very grateful.”

In Sierra Leone, Lassa fever remains a public health concern especially during the dry season with the highest incidence rates recorded in the Eastern and Southern Provinces, particularly in the Kenema and Kailahun districts.

28/05/2026

BBC Interviews Dr. Austin Demby on Ebola Preparedness Amid DRC Outbreak

’s Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, spoke to the BBC about lessons learned from the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the nation’s preparedness strategy as concerns rise over the current situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dr. Austin Demby, PhD, MPH emphasized the critical role of community engagement, public trust, early detection, and timely treatment in preventing another deadly epidemic.

“In public health emergencies, the public is a major partner and must be engaged as early as possible. We need to translate complex science into language everyone understands, give people hope, and help them see that they can contribute to the solution” he said.

🎥 Watch the full BBC interview in the video below.

Sierra Leone's Minister of Health, AAustin Demby, PhD, MPH has called for equitable and rapid pandemic financing mechani...
21/05/2026

Sierra Leone's Minister of Health, AAustin Demby, PhD, MPH has called for equitable and rapid pandemic financing mechanisms that work for vulnerable countries before crises emerge. Dr. Demby made this clarion call earlier on Thursday, 21st May 2026, during a high-level panel discussion at the ongoing on “Scaling Innovative Financing for the Next Pandemic,” organised by the global Vaccine Alliance-GAVI.

Minister Demby used the discussion, which was chaired by Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, and moderated by Sania Nishtar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GAVI, to warn that Sierra Leone is already experiencing the effects of global instability, including a 40% rise in domestic fuel prices linked to the Middle East crisis and growing uncertainty around pharmaceutical supply replenishment.

He highlighted Sierra Leone’s growing preparedness framework, including the Public Health Emergency Trust Fund established in 2023, the operational Pandemic Fund under the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), and the National Health Compact 2025–2030, as the country’s coordination platform for emergency and health systems financing.

Drawing lessons from Ebola, COVID-19, and the recent Mpox response, the Minister stressed that "preparedness cannot be separated from strong everyday health systems, including frontline workers, surveillance systems, supply chains, community trust, and domestic financing capacity."

He continued that Sierra Leone’s surveillance system is embedded within primary healthcare because "outbreaks begin in communities and are ultimately controlled within communities." Dr. Demby noted that strengthening surveillance, preparedness, prevention, detection, and response systems remain essential for effective outbreak response and national resilience. The Minister concluded by urging global partners to build equity into pandemic financing instruments from the outset, emphasizing that countries most vulnerable to outbreaks are often least able to absorb financing gaps during the critical first 30 days of an emergency.
GGavi, the Vaccine AllianceWWorld Health Organization African Region

On the Margins of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva-Switzerland, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health, Austin Demb...
20/05/2026

On the Margins of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva-Switzerland, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health, Austin Demby, PhD, MPH, gains global recognition as an example of how national health compacts can drive measurable health sector transformation through political leadership, coordinated partnerships, and real-time data management and accountability.

Speaking as a distinguished guest in what has been described as one of the most strategically significant engagements at the ongoing WHA79, Dr. Demby outlined Sierra Leone’s compact implementation model through the framework of the “4As” — Alignment, Acceleration, Accompaniment, and Accountability.

He highlighted Sierra Leone’s National Health Compact launch in Tokyo in December 2025, as a practical demonstration of the “one plan, one budget, and one report” approach, which aligns government and development partners behind shared national health priorities. According Dr. Demby, “alignment requires joint governance between the ministries of health and finance.” A Compact remains a document, he added. Minister Demby directly linked the compact to Sierra Leone’s Presidential-led 300 Days of Activism initiative; describing it as the delivery mechanism that drives urgency, implementation, discipline, and measurable outcomes across the health sector.

“Sierra Leone stands ready to serve as a reference country for others seeking to operationalize National Health Compacts in a way that delivers measurable results for citizens,” Dr. Demby concluded.

*MoH's DCMO-Clinical Champions Healthcare Equity and Community Resilience at the Lungi Civic Day Series*The The Ministry...
20/05/2026

*MoH's DCMO-Clinical Champions Healthcare Equity and Community Resilience at the Lungi Civic Day Series*

The The Ministry of Information and Civic Education's Civic
Day Series reached Lungi yesterday, drawing a full house at the Saint Augustine Agricultural Secondary School in Tintafor. The hall came to life, brimming with pupils, local residents, and other dignitaries; a vivid reflection of civic participation in Port Loko District. Speaking at the event on the rapid healthcare transformations happening in Sierra Leone under the leadership of Austin Demby, PhD, MPH, the Ministry of Health's Deputy Chief Medical Officer-Clinical Services, Dr. Mustapha Kabba, spoke passionately about what he described as a true revolution happening in the health sector.

"Over 300 health facilities fully powered with renewable solar energy, oxygen is now available in hospitals nationwide, new facilities with state-of-the-art facilities and staff are being trained to provide quality care for everyone."

Dr. Kabba went on to deliver a powerful message of hope, emphasizing the expansion in services across the country to successfully implement the Presidential-led 300 Days of Activism, a national pledge that no woman should die from preventable pregnancy complications, no child under five should die from preventable causes, and no child should go unvaccinated. He said; “change is happening. Deaths are now halved and all of these improvements are taking place because the health of our people is the foundation of national progress."

Dr. Austin Demby promotes Sierra Leone’s healthcare reform at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva. As global leader...
18/05/2026

Dr. Austin Demby promotes Sierra Leone’s healthcare reform at the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva.

As global leaders gather in the Swiss capital-Geneva- for this year’s 79th World Health Assembly , Minister of Health, Austin Demby, PhD, MPH, brilliantly showcased Sierra Leone’s rapid healthcare transformation as a hallmark achievement of Julius Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone’s human capital development agenda. Dr. Demby, under whose leadership the health sector is witnessing a radical shift; from a place of despair to a place of healing and hope, was unequivocally clear about the current and future direction the country is headed with regards healthcare as he addressed world leaders earlier today during the opening session of the .

“The President has made it very clear that healthcare is cardinal to his human development agenda,” Dr. Demby said. He went on; “therefore, the ongoing reforms in the sector are part of a deliberate and coordinated strategy to achieve Universal Health Coverage by emphasizing equitable access to quality care for everyone.”

On his part, the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, singled out a number of what he described as top-of-the-line priorities that need careful consideration including strengthening global health governance, advancing negotiations on the pandemic treaty, and addressing urgent funding gaps. Dr. Tedros urged Member States to use the Assembly to advance equitable access to medical countermeasures and finalize key multilateral agreements essential for building a healthier and more peaceful world.

Sierra Leone continues to play an active role within the WHO, particularly in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The country’s National Health Sector Strategic Plan (2026–2030) prioritizes UHC, health security, and innovative evidence-based interventions all aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality, HIV, malnutrition, and communicable diseases.

All of these reforms played key role in seeing the country being elected today as a member of the General Committee of the Assembly, the steering body responsible for guiding and coordinating the work of WHO Member States during the Health Assembly proceedings.

This year’s focuses on “Reshaping Global Health: A Shared Responsibility,” as theme to remind world leaders of the ever growing need for collective global action to address emerging healthcare challenges.

The high-level opening featured statements from the President of the Health Assembly, Heads of State, Special Guests including President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, and the presentation of the WHO Director-General’s Health Awards to four distinguished recipients.

Address

4th & 5th Floors Youyi Building
Freetown

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00
Friday 08:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

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+23277468468

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