Announcements

By Yusufu Abu Sesay
The Civil Society Movement Against Tuberculosis in Sierra Leone (CISMAT-SL), lead campaigner of the Civil Society Inclusive Pandemic Preparedness and Response National Coalition (CS PPR National Coalition), has called for stronger community engagement in Sierra Leone’s health security systems.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, 24th September 2025, at the CISMAT-SL Head Office in Freetown, CISMAT-SL Programme Director, Reverend Paul Bangura, underscored the importance of communities stepping up for inclusive pandemic preparedness.

He noted that global experts continue to warn of unpredictable pandemics and stressed that Sierra Leone must strengthen its preparedness systems. “While frameworks such as the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), the State Party Annual Reporting (SPAR), and the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) exist, many communities and civil society organizations (CSOs) remain unaware of or excluded from these processes,” he said. “To bridge this gap, the COPPA-EC project, supported by the Global Fund, was launched to build the capacity of communities, CSOs, and key populations including people affected by HIV, TB, sex workers, and men who have sex with men (MSM) to understand pandemic preparedness and response frameworks.

Reverend Bangura explained that an initial assessment revealed weak relationships between community groups and national stakeholders such as the National Public Health Agency (NPHA). Many CSOs and vulnerable populations lacked knowledge of preparedness tools, limiting their participation in decision-making and response planning.

According to him, the project empowered CSOs and key populations across districts to understand how NAPHS, SPAR, and JEE function, enabling them to engage more effectively with authorities. It also highlighted lessons from COVID-19, when vulnerable groups including persons with disabilities and sex workers were excluded from lockdown planning.

“Through dialogue and advocacy, the project produced a policy brief that identified weaknesses in community engagement and recommended stronger inclusion of CSOs, key populations, and last-mile communities in national planning” he concluded.. Supporting this call, CARKAP Programme Manager, Harry Ben Alpha, emphasized that existing approaches often overlook those most affected. She explained that the new policy brief calls for a paradigm shift, stressing that inclusivity should not be treated as an afterthought during emergencies but as a permanent partnership within national systems.

“The recommendations align with Sierra Leone’s Human Rights Act (2004) and the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act (2022), as well as international best practices promoted by the United Nations and the Global Fund. The brief urges the government to establish accountability platforms, strengthen governance, and ensure the participation of last-mile communities in One Health structures, including the upcoming NAHPS 2025–2029 strategy” he said.

He said “ The Coalition concludes that building resilient systems requires more than medical interventions. It demands inclusive policies, social justice, and people-centered governance. Integrating equity, gender, human rights, and civil society into pandemic preparedness is not only possible but urgent for Sierra Leone’s health security and sustainable development”