Launching the project, Madam Madina Rahman reiterated that the Ministries of Health and Sanitation and Agriculture Forestry and Food Security with support from partners developed the REDISSE with funds from World Bank.
She said the implementation of the project was based on the one health concept, and was done after a series of consultative meetings with partners to identify areas of overlap and duplication.
Madam Rahmantold the gathering that the main objective of REDISSE project is to strengthen national and cross-border capacity for surveillance, early detection and timely reporting of priority human and animal infectious diseases. She added that it is to strengthen national laboratory capacity and to effectively respond to priority human and animal infectious disease outbreak.
She reminded all that as disease surveillance is community based, the Ministry has decided that full implementation cannot commence without the implementers fully aware and know their role, adding that they therefore support the establishment of a District Level Coordination Committee. The Committee she said would be chaired by the District Medical Officer with the District Agricultural as Co-Chair, adding that they suggest the existing chiefdom level structures be utilized to coordinate activities at village level with the Paramount Chief having the mandate to coordinate within the chiefdom.
Madam Rahman reminded participants about the Ebola outbreak in the country, which they do not want a repeat, adding that it is an opportunity for them to strengthen the disease surveillance system
Making her presentation and speech, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer 1, Dr. Sarian Kamara described the REDISSE project as a regional effort to strengthen disease surveillance and timely response to outbreaks.
She highlighted the importance of the lessons learnt from the Ebola outbreak, the new zoonotic diseases and the emerging infectious diseases with epidemic potential as well as the need to strengthen animal and human surveillance and response.
The REDISSE project she reiterated is focusing on what she referred to as a one health approach across multiple sectors that incorporates the Ministries of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security and Fisheries.
The one health approach Dr. Kamara furthered, is a comprehensive programme covering all aspect of human and animal surveillance, and also addresses challenges meeting the requirements of the Global Health Security Agenda and the International Health Regulations to improve the country’s score on the joint external evaluation.
Dr. Sarian Kamara told her audience that REDISSE also supports several key initiatives and results area of the President’s Recovery Priorities for health in maintaining resilient zero including an integrated disease surveillance reporting system, emergency response and preparedness, and increase laboratory capacity.
Other highlights of the programme include statements from representatives from WHO, the Makeni City Council, the Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security Ministry, the District Medical Officer Bombali Dr. Osaio Kamara and presentations by the Manager, Disease Surveillance, Mr. Roland Conteh among others.
