By Ragan M Conteh  

The Civil Society Movement against Tuberculosis (CISMAT) has held a one-day National Consultative.

multi stakeholders on pandemic response preparedness in a  platform with the inclusion of CSOs and the communities.

The one-day meeting held on Wednesday 2nd October, 2023 at the Sierra Palm Hotel conference Hall Aberdeen, West end of Freetown.

The Pandemic Preparedness and Response workshop was in accordance with the Global agenda to alert and inform key stakeholders to response to emerging outbreaks and emergencies in the country and the world over.

This meeting pioneered by the Civil Society Movement against TB Sierra Leone (CISMAT-

SL is a success one. The CSO is a local NGO registered under the laws of Sierra Leone  working to advance the health right of TB and TB/HIV affected communities by amplifying their voices to access treatment services.

The theme for the one day meeting is “From Mitigation to Preparedness.”

Addressing participants present at the meeting, the Executive Director of CISMAT, Reverend Paul Bangura, said that the reason why they held the stakeholders engagement was to ensure that authorities concerned mapout strategies to tackle pandemics before they occur.

He said years ago the country had witnessed pandemics like Ebola, COVID-19 and mudslides in which the country wasn’t prepared for.

The gvernment said they had to use resources meant for the curing of other diseases to respond to those pandemics at the time.

He said in other for such to be averted, they as civil Society Movement Against Tuberculosis CIBMAT, have decided to start raising awareness to key stakeholders so that authorities concerned will be in readiness at any time such incident occurs.

Explaining their mandate, Reverend Paul Bangura informed his audience that the reason was to enhance CSOs and Community space to partner and collaborate with PPR actors to create a shared PPR vision, integrates health equity (UHC), human rights, and Climate and gender equality.

Advocate for establishment of a national multi stakeholders pandemics Preparedness response platform with inclusion of CSOs and Communities in cognizance with the Global agenda to alert countries on response to emerging outbreaks and emergencies.

One of the facilitators and also chairman of the meeting Dr. Lakkoh showered praised CISMAT for organizing the stakeholders’ engagement and underscored that the organization is one of the leading institutions that has promoted the health status of TB patients across the country.

He called on authorities concerned to work with CISMAT in raising awareness on PPR across the country.

Dr Alhassan Sesay schooled participants that each year government records more than 25,000 TC cases across the country.

He said COVID-19 has similar symptoms like TB , a reason he said TB issues should be treated so seriously.

Other speakers who made useful contributions during the programme include A representative from National Public Health Agency, Binta Bah, Deputy Director of Partnership National Disaster Management Agency, madam Theresa Deloes, Deputy Chairman Bombali District Council, Mr. John Yamba Kanu and Assistant Director in the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Joseph A Fatoma who said that councils have been informed to set aside 2 percentage of their revenue for disasters and pandemics occurring in the future.

The engagement was climaxed by a group work for the development of a communique to strengthen collaboration.