UNECA urges Sierra Leone to increase health sector funding

A delegation from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has called on Sierra Leone's Parliament to increase budgetary allocations for the health sector. The delegation met with parliamentary leadership to address the gap between political commitments and actual spending.

While the Abuja Declaration targets a minimum of 15% of national budgets for health, Sierra Leone currently allocates approximately 6%. UNECA officials noted that this shortfall hinders progress toward universal health coverage and forces households to bear a heavy burden of out-of-pocket costs. In Africa, households typically account for about 60% of total healthcare spending, a trend that can push families into poverty.

To address these challenges, UNECA plans to conduct a health survey in Sierra Leone to analyze the contributions of the government versus households and the effectiveness of health insurance. The delegation also emphasized the need for improved health information systems and better coordination of data collection to ensure public resources lead to better health outcomes.