By Thaimu T Kamara
The Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mustapha Kabba has called for sustained collective action, stronger community participation and long-term investment in the health sector to consolidate Sierra Leone’s progress towards achieving the Triple Zero targets.
Dr. Kabba made the call during a Special Townhall organised as part of the 300 Days of Activism for Triple Zero at the Miatta Civic Centre in Freetown. The townhall, hosted by the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, was held under the theme, “Achieving Triple Zero Together – Progress, Challenges and Next Steps.”
Addressing participants, Dr. Kabba reflected on the progress Sierra Leone has made in improving healthcare, attributing the gains to the dedication of health workers, political leadership, technical teams and other stakeholders working to advance the country’s health agenda.
He also referenced Sierra Leone’s recent participation at the United Nations General Assembly, where the country presented its achievements and ongoing efforts in the health sector. According to the Chief Medical Officer, the positive reception of Sierra Leone’s interventions at the international level demonstrated growing recognition of the country’s progress and should serve as motivation to maintain the momentum.
Dr. Kabba, however, cautioned that the next phase must focus on sustaining the gains while addressing persistent challenges within the health system. He stressed that achieving the Triple Zero targets would require more than short-term interventions, calling instead for sustainable strategies capable of addressing existing bottlenecks and strengthening healthcare delivery.
A major focus of his presentation was maternal healthcare. Dr. Kabba emphasised the need to ensure that women have timely access to quality health services, noting that although many women are accessing care, some still face barriers when seeking treatment at clinics and other health facilities.
He called for greater emphasis on early antenatal care, regular monitoring of pregnancies and the timely identification of complications. He also highlighted the importance of effective referral systems to ensure that patients can quickly access facilities with the necessary medical personnel, equipment and expertise.
The Chief Medical Officer further stressed the importance of community involvement in improving health outcomes. He said healthcare institutions alone cannot address all the challenges confronting the sector and urged communities to become stronger partners in promoting early healthcare-seeking behaviour.
He encouraged communities to support women in accessing antenatal services and seeking medical attention when necessary. Dr. Kabba also highlighted conditions such as sickle cell disease, noting that women living with such conditions may require specialised care during pregnancy and childbirth.
He explained that early identification and proper management of underlying health conditions could enable healthcare professionals to respond more effectively to potential complications and improve outcomes for mothers and their babies.
Dr. Kabba also called for greater attention to compassionate, respectful and patient-centred care in healthcare facilities. He said efforts were being made to strengthen supervision, monitoring and training to improve the quality of services provided by health workers.
He maintained that every woman’s experience within the healthcare system, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth, should be safe, dignified and positive. At the same time, he acknowledged that continued efforts are needed to close existing gaps in service delivery.
Looking beyond the 300-day campaign, Dr. Kabba said Sierra Leone must transition from campaign-based interventions to sustainable health system strengthening. He urged stakeholders to treat the activism as an opportunity to strengthen existing systems and develop approaches capable of producing lasting results.
He further called for lessons and gains from the initiative to be integrated into relevant directorates, programmes within the Ministry of Health and other key institutions.
Dr. Kabba’s message reinforced the need for collective responsibility in achieving the Triple Zero vision. While acknowledging Sierra Leone’s progress, he urged government, health workers, communities and development partners to maintain their commitment to quality healthcare, stronger community engagement and sustainable systems that protect mothers and children.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 14th October 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
