The WHO in Sierra Leone provided technical support to the National COVID Emergency Response Centre (NaCOVERC) and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) during a two day COVID-19 Intra Action Review (IAR) workshop at the Golden Tulip Hotel from 22nd to 23rd September 2020. The overarching objective was to assess the strengths and challenges of the various pillars of the response; surveillance, case management, laboratory, risk communications, food and nutrition, and coordination, and to proffer opportunities to improve the response going forward.
The chairman of the review was Prof. Foday Sahr, who is also the Technical Coordinator of the National COVID-19 Emergency Response. Prof. Sahr reiterated that the aim of the review process was not to cast blames on any pillar or person for what didn’t work well.
“We should rather use this process as an opportunity to learn from our mistakes and formulate a robust response. We have basically been doing stocktaking, so it’s time for a collective review.” The IAR followed a series of intra pillar reviews that were completed a few weeks earlier, where the various pillars in the Technical Pillars of the COVID-19 response went through a qualitative review of actions undertaken to date.
In doing so, the pillar level reviews served to identify gaps, lessons and best practices to improve the national response plan. Making his opening statement on COVID-19 in Africa on behalf of the WHO, Dr. Charles Njuguna, the Health Security and Emergency Cluster Lead, highlighted the significance of the review process, stating that Sierra Leone has accomplished a milestone as only the second country in Africa and the fifth globally to do an IAR.
“As of Friday 18th September 2020, only five countries had conducted intra action review on the COVID-19 response. This shows that Sierra Leone is a country that takes public health issues seriously and we have seen a great deal of commitment from the Government of Sierra Leone to achieve this. We are proud that other countries in the African region would learn from us,” said Dr. Njuguna.
Dr. Tushar Singh, the Country Director for the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), stated that the sole purpose of the IAR “is frankly discussing what each one of the responding pillars and agencies has done in the past seven months of the response”.
He added: “All of us have made mistakes in our processes, and this is far from a perfect response for anyone in the world.” Mr. Ian Rufus of the WHO facilitated the process by highlighting the methodology and running order cautioned that the overall objective of the review process is aimed at identifying what went well, what didn’t go so well and how to improve the response.
“At the end of the process we should be able to identify immediate, short term and long-term actions that we can put into strategic plan,” he added. On the final day of the IAR, the Minister of Health and Sanitation, Prof. Alpha Wurie, expressed his appreciation of WHO, partners and pillars involved in the response, exalting their bravery and commitment to the fight against COVID-19.
“As a country we are proud of the proactive way we have taken the response, bringing together our best resources; the military, the technical and medical professionals to fight this devastating virus. And for all their support, I want to thank our partners,” said Prof. Wurie.
The minister mentioned the need for the establishment of an autonomous national public health agency which will have the capacity to respond to public health emergencies by integrating health security and emergency and health systems strengthening. The review process was punctuated by presentations from the various pillars in the response followed by discussions. The process highlighted numerous challenges ranging from militarisation of the response, inadequate existing public health structures, gaps and inconsistency in communications to more importantly the bureaucracies in accessing financial resources for the pillars.
Meanwhile, there were several success stories from all the responding pillars. The workshop culminated in recommendations which will form the basis of a COVID-19 response strategic plan.
By Ophaniel Gooding