The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Julius Bio, has underscored the strategic importance of the Assembly as a platform for decisive regional action.

Mr Bio, who is Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, was represented by the Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh.

He spoke on Saturday during the 27th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Health Ministers of ECOWAS.

The high-level session brought together ministers of health from member states, government leaders, technical and financial partners, and regional health experts.

The development was disclosed on the organisation’s social media handle on Saturday, noting a shared goal of advancing a coordinated response towards malaria elimination across West Africa.

The two-day meeting was organised by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Sierra Leone.

According to the organisers, the meeting is being held with the theme: “Advancing Malaria Elimination Through an Integrated Regional Strategy,” aimed at strengthening collective action against one of the region’s most pressing public health challenges.

Mr Bio emphasised that population health remains a key indicator of governments’ ability to deliver on their fundamental responsibilities.

He called for concrete, measurable outcomes and accelerated progress from malaria control to elimination through stronger, data-driven, and innovative health systems before formally declaring the session open.

In his welcome address, the Minister of Health of Sierra Leone and chairman of the occasion, Austin Demby, highlighted the region’s renewed political commitment to placing health at the centre of sustainable development.

He emphasised the urgency of intensifying malaria elimination efforts in the face of stalled global progress since 2015, declining external financing, and the growing effects of climate change on transmission dynamics.

Mr Demby called for increased domestic investment, innovation, and the transformation of health systems into more resilient and responsive platforms.

 (NAN)