Sierra Leone and UNECA discuss health financing gap as allocation remains below Abuja target

Sierra Leone’s Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh and other officials held talks this week with a United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) delegation led by Chief of Staff Aboubakri Diaw on sustainable health financing and domestic resource mobilisation. UNECA officials noted that Sierra Leone allocates roughly 6 percent of its national budget to health, below the 15 percent target under the African Union’s Abuja Declaration, while households across Africa bear about 60 percent of health expenditure.

Discussions involved Parliament, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Health on integrating health financing into national planning and exploring options such as improved data systems. Posts from @Sierraloaded and @awokonewspaper, and the British High Commission in Sierra Leone (@UKinSierraLeone) on related development roles, reflected local coverage of the engagements held around 12–14 October.