A United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) delegation, led by Chief of Staff Aboubakri Diaw, met with Sierra Leone’s Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Hon. Kekura C. Vandy, to advocate for urgent enhancements in healthcare financing and service delivery.
Diaw expressed UNECA’s commitment to assist Sierra Leone in improving health financing mechanisms and data coordination. He praised the Speaker for their reception, stressing the importance of effective financing arrangements and data systems to enhance health outcomes for citizens.
The UNECA officials highlighted a significant shortfall in health budget allocations. Despite Sierra Leone’s pledge to allocate at least 15% of its national budget to health, current figures stand at approximately 6%. This disparity hampers progress towards universal health coverage and leads to high out-of-pocket healthcare costs for households.
On the continent, households fund about 60% of total healthcare spending, exacerbating poverty and limiting access to care. UNECA plans to conduct a health survey in Sierra Leone to better understand the contributions of government versus households and the impact of health insurance on preventing catastrophic costs.
The discussions also involved enhancing health information systems. UNECA called for better coordination of existing health data systems and regional cooperation to ensure more accurate budgeting and monitoring of healthcare expenditure, which would aid evidence-based policymaking.
Speaker Thomas welcomed the initiative and affirmed Parliament’s readiness to engage with the proposal and relevant ministries. He underscored Parliament’s constitutional mandate in representing citizens, approving budgets, and overseeing government activities.
Chairman Vandy emphasised that effective implementation depends on cooperation with the Executive, which manages the national budget. He pointed out challenges in revenue collection that constrain available resources, affecting the Ministry of Finance’s ability to meet proposals. Vandy stressed the need for all financial flows to be managed through the Ministry of Finance, asserting that Parliament must have access to information on public service funding.
A primary goal of UNECA’s engagement is to enhance financial efficiency in health spending, positing that improved health financing can yield broad socio-economic benefits. The meeting concluded with an agreement for continued collaboration. UNECA will proceed with its planned survey and support strengthening health financing tools, while Parliament is keen to consult relevant ministries and boost legislative oversight to enhance healthcare funding. Both parties agreed that better coordination, increased revenue mobilisation, and transparency in donor funding are essential to bridging the gap between current spending and the Abuja Declaration target, ultimately leading to improved healthcare services in Sierra Leone.
