Freetown—The World Health Organization (WHO), with support from the Global Fund and Fleming Fund, has delivered medical supplies and infection prevention and control (IPC) materials worth more than USD $1 million to the Sierra Leone health authorities. The donation aims to enhance Sierra Leone's emergency response and public health capacities.

The supplies were received by the Hon. Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, in the presence of the Executive Director of the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), Professor Foday Sahr, the Deputy Executive Director, Dr. Vandy Mohammed, and other senior leaders of the MoH, NPHA, and WHO. The donated supplies include a variety of essential medicines, laboratory  and medical supplies, including infection prevention and control (IPC) materials. The items will support health facilities nationwide, ensuring they are better equipped to detect, manage, and contain outbreaks.

Handing over the items, Dr Ameh George, the WHO Representative, reaffirmed the organization's commitment to supporting the Ministry of Health and NPHA in safeguarding the health and well-being of all Sierra Leoneans. He stressed that “the risk of disease outbreaks is there all the time, so the health system must be ready with the right equipment and the  reagents to help us diagnose quickly. All that we need for responding - the laboratory equipment and reagents, the infection control and prevention materials that were supplied - must be in place, including stocks of essential medicines. All of these enhance the state of readiness. It is not when you have an outbreak of disease that you start putting things together, everything must be prepositioned, and your plans must be ready. All of these go towards enhancing preparedness in Sierra Leone.”

The Hon Minister Demby thanked WHO for the excellent collaboration, partners, and support, noting that the donation aligns with government efforts to strengthen health security, safeguard communities, and build a resilient health system capable of managing emergencies effectively. “This is the era of being ready; this is the era of being prepared to respond. And just a reminder - it is never-ending. Even as we have made so much progress on mpox and are now at the countdown stage, we should never let down our guard. We expended a lot of resources in the initial response, so as part of preparedness, the ability to replenish and ensure we have stocks is critical. For that, we are very grateful.” said Dr Demby

This latest contribution further strengthens the longstanding partnership between the Government of Sierra Leone, WHO, the Global Fund, and the UK Fleming Fund to advance quality health services, strengthening outbreak preparedness, addressing the growing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), and building resilient health systems nationwide.