The World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation have collaborated to create a four-day program in health promotion. According to allAfrica.com today, more than 30 members of the Sierra Leone ministry are being trained in the hopes that the information will increase the level of ability and and qualifications for staff in the field. Health and Sanitation Minister, Mr. Sheku Tejan Koroma, spoke at the opening ceremony held at the Council of Churches of Sierra Leone. Mr. Koroma reiterated the government’s commitment to making healthcare affordable and accessible, while expressing gratitude towards the WHO and UNICEF for their continued partnership with the government of Sierra Leone.


Acting WHO representative, Dr. Daniel Fussum, stressed the importance of health promotion at the ceremony. Dr. Fussum advocated health promotion as an investment that is one of the main programs in public health that focus primarily on many diseases through preventative strategies and education. WHO Health Promotion Regional Adviser, Dr. David Nyamwaya, commended health promotion as a vehicle to increase productivity and enforce behavioral change through social marketing and advocacy. Health promotion is one of the five points in the WHO’s strategic agenda in Sierra Leone for the years of 2008-2011.