Sierra Leone NPHA Development Workshop
From 13-16, July 2026, Sierra Leone’s National Public Health Agency (NPHA), with support from the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), held a leadership workshop to review findings from a recently completed Staged Development Tool (SDT) assessment and identify priorities for further institutional strengthening. The workshop is also a step towards the NPHA achieving its goal of ISO 9001 certification. (ISO 9001 is the internationally recognized standard for quality management, which is used by organizations throughout the world to improve performance and quality.)
Sierra Leone’s National Public Health Agency (NPHA) was established through the Public Health Act of 2022 and officially launched on December 14, 2023. During its first two years, the NPHA has largely focused on standing up its critical functions, such as surveillance, laboratory services and coordination, and outbreak preparedness and response.
The workshop brought together NPHA executive leadership, directors, programme managers, and technical experts. Early in the workshop, an interactive group process identified six areas as priorities for next steps planning: Human Resources, Organizational Culture, Internal Communication, Information Technology, Subnational Levels, and Sustainable Resources. Participants then discussed each topic in turn, generating insights about what was working well at the NPHA and what could be better, and defining priorities for action. For each priority, participants identified next steps, including who would be responsible and the timeline for action. In addition, participants identified “quick wins,” actions that could be taken quickly that would produce concrete products or results.
Following the workshop, a small group of senior leadership from the NPHA and the IANPHI consultant met with Prof. Foday Sahr, Executive Director of the NPHA, to brief him on the discussions and the proposed action plan. Prof. Sahr praised the process and results and provided ideas for actions related to priorities such as sustainable financing and workplace safety.
Prof. Sahr said, “The SDT process gives us a practical way to examine where the NPHA is today, identify the institutional capacities we need to strengthen, and translate those findings into actions with clear responsibilities and timelines. Building a strong NPHA is essential not only for Sierra Leone’s health security, but also for our contribution to regional and global health security.”
The workshop and subsequent discussions resulted in a institutional action plan, with priority interventions, clearly defined responsibilities, and implementation timelines. The SDT Discussion Guides will provide a resource for continued organizational strengthening and achieving ISO 9001 certification.
Post-workshop meeting with Prof. Sahr. From left: Dr. Eric Nzirakaindi Ikoona, Strategic Advisor, NPHA; Dr. Sue Binder, Senior Advisor for Public Health Practice, IANPHI; Prof. Foday Sahr, Executive Director, NPHA; Dr. Mohamed Boie Jalloh, Director of Planning, Policy & Research, NPHA