By Ragan M Conteh

The network of HIV positive in Sierra Leone in collaboration with National Aids Secretariat (NAS), UNAIDS, Christian Aid and other partners, has meet with members of parliamentary sub-committees on health.

The engagement was held on Monday 25th March, 2024, at Committee room One, Parliament building, Tower Hill in Freetown.

Giving his PowerPoint presentation during the engagement, the National Aids Secretariat Director General, Abdul Rahman Sesay, said a total number of 176 HIV nurse counsellors have threatened to quit rendering services to HIV patients in hospitals across Sierra Leone if government fails to assign their names in the national salary scheme (to give them pincodes).

According to Sesay, the Global Fund had been paying those nurse counsellors over the years but that they had decided to stop come June this year.

Making her submission, the Committee Chairperson, Hon Wuyata Songa expressed her satisfaction for the resilience of organizations that are fighting to end HIV/Aids in Sierra Leone especially the Global Fund; NETHIPS, NAS and other partners.

Hon Songa said the purpose of the committee’s engagement was to acquaint with problems faced by the HIV fighters in the country and their challenges faced in the fight.

She maintained Parliamentary Committee is geared towards advocating as well as scrutinizing the work of HIV staff in the country.

She urged the ministry of health to ensure that they issue pin-codes (registration status) to the 176 nurse counsellors so as to address the situation.

The female MP said as lawmakers responsible to give Oversight functions  to the health ministry they ensured that they helped salvage the situation of such a worrying trend by HIV patients.

Hon. Emilia Lolloh Tongi from Kailahun district said the ministry of health needs to address the issue of the counseling nurses.

She stated that if the ministry of health failed to give pin-codes to these nurses and they eventually left, it would be a catastrophe for patients living with HIV in Sierra Leone.

A representative from the ministry of health informed MPs that as a ministry they were engaging with authorities from NAS and other partners, adding that thankfully government had allocated to recruitment of two thousand health care workers.

The Member of Parliament from Tonkolili District, Hon Aruna Papay Larkoh had called on the Global Fund and NAS Secretariat to have a re-think on the proposed termination of funding for HIV Nurse Councilors in Hospitals.

Hon Larkoh said termination of funds by Global Fund for these nurses would result to the hike in cases of HIV in Sierra Leone.

The MP also said it was a worrying issue if the government hospitals fail to retain these nurses across the country.

The MP raised serious concerns on the prevalence of HIV cases in Sierra Leone and how the HIV and AIDS’ officials can work with MPs to put  down the number of people having HIV.

Other MPs pleaded with the Global Fund to continue exercising patience while government is putting modalities to address those nurses.

However, the executives from NAS and other partners have assured the continuous engagement with parliament especially the health committee for more information surrounding HIV fight in the country.