Sierra Leone Targets Sustainable Healthcare Financing
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health launched the five-year National Health Financing Strategy (2026–2030) to reduce donor reliance, boost domestic funding, and ensure sustainable essential healthcare. Validated on November 4, 2026, in Freetown with government and international partners, the roadmap responds to shrinking global aid by creating a stable framework to protect health gains.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mustapha Sundifu Kabba emphasized building an inclusive financing model that removes financial barriers for vulnerable populations. To protect citizens from out-of-pocket costs, he advocated expanding health insurance, increasing public funding, and leveraging public-private partnerships to reliably support primary care, essential medicines, and emergency services.
Key strategy pillars focus on domestic resource mobilization, financial risk protection, strategic purchasing, fiscal accountability, and equitable resource distribution. Aligned with the National Health Compact, the strategy lays the groundwork for a National Health Financing Policy and a Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Bill. Central to these reforms are a publicly funded UHC package and a national health insurance scheme.
Dr. Kabba noted that success will depend on political will, multi-sectoral coordination, and strict institutional accountability. Ultimately, the strategy aims to establish a self-sustaining health system that guarantees healthcare access and protects families from medical impoverishment.
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