World Bank says projects should focus on results
January 13, 2017 By Ibrahim Tarawallie
The World Bank is supporting the implementation of the Health Sector Delivery and System Support Project (HSDSSP) and the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement Program in West Africa (REDISSE) by the Ministries of Health and Sanitation and Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security.
The HSDSSP project to be implemented by the Health Ministry will increase the utilisation and improve the quality of essential maternal and child health services, while the REDISSE project to be jointly championed by the agriculture and health ministries, would strengthen national and regional cross sectoral in the event of an eligible crisis or emergency.
During the launch of the two projects at the Radisson Blu, Mammy Yoko Hotel on Wednesday (January 11, 2017), World Bank Operations Officer, Sheikh A.Y Sesay, urged the two ministries to ensure that the projects focused on results.
He stated that the inputs of the two projects would be very much critical for successful implementation and urged that they be translated into good quality results.
“The projects were designed to suit the country’s needs. The launch indicates the start of a new phase of implementation of these projects. The projects need to focus on results,” he said and urged that projects money must be spent wisely.
For the REDISSE project, Mr. Sesay said the expected results should be that the country public health and vetenary system could depict, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks and other public health events in the country, while stressing the need for preparedness and response plans, command and control structure, surveillance systems, rapid response teams and surge capacity.
According to him, the HSDSSP project should ensure improve utilisation and quality services for the poor, particularly women and children.
Mr. Sesay opined that according to recent data, health spending per capita in Sierra Leone was high, relative to other countries in the sub-region and that evidence showed that progress in the reduction of maternal and infant mortality, as well as under five mortality rates has been slow.
Also, Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Freetown, Laurie J. Meininger said the projects would help to improve the government’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks and strengthen the systems that everyone depend upon for both human and animal health.
She reckoned that global health security depends largely on the health security and systems in each of the nation around the world.
“We are proud of our partnership with the government. We will continue to support multi-sectoral collaboration for a robust surveillance systems and the integrated one health laboratory network and extended health services with a strong workforce to respond to the public health of the country,” she said.
According to her, the United States had does far invested 300 million dollars to support emergency response, health service recovery and systems strengthening to promote health security in the country.
Minister of Health, Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah and Deputy Agriculture Minister, Lovell Thomas, both stated that planning for emergency disease eradication, as well as control programmes should not be left until disease outbreak occurred.
They assured of their collaboration to ensure the successful implementation of the two projects which would help boost health in the country.