By: yusufibrahimkamara@hopemediasl.com
The Government of Sierra Leone has officially launched a nationwide verification and geo-mapping exercise of Community Health Workers (CHWs), marking a decisive milestone in the country’s efforts to strengthen primary healthcare delivery, modernize health workforce data, and advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC through digital health innovation.
The launch ceremony, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Freetown, brought together senior government officials, district health management teams, technical experts, development partners, civil society actors, and community health workers from across the country. The programme, which commenced on January 28, 2026, is designed to generate a comprehensive, verified, and geo-referenced national CHW registry that will serve as a foundational tool for health planning, equitable resource allocation, and effective service delivery particularly in remote and underserved communities.
At the core of the initiative is the creation of a single, authoritative dataset that accurately reflects who community health workers are, where they are located, and which populations they serve. The registry is expected to resolve longstanding challenges posed by fragmented, paper-based records and multiple partner-generated lists that often fail to align with official Ministry of Health and Sanitation data.
The event featured high-level presentations and policy statements from key figures in Sierra Leone’s health sector leadership, including Dr. Charles Senessie, Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation; Dr. Brima Osaio Kamara, Director of Primary Health Care; Dr. Alieu Wurie, representing the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Chief Medical Officer; and Mr. Rudolf Schwenk, UNICEF Representative to Sierra Leone.
Delivering the keynote address under the theme “Strategic Importance of the CHW Registry for Universal Health Coverage and Digital Health,” Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation Dr. Charles Senessie underscored the indispensable role community health workers play within Sierra Leone’s healthcare architecture. He described CHWs as the “foot soldiers” of the national health system and the first line of defence against disease outbreaks, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach settings.
“Most health outcomes are determined at the community level,” Dr. Senessie stated. “Community health workers are the bridge between remote villages and safe deliveries at Peripheral Health Units. They ensure that every child, mother, and family can access essential health services, even in the hardest-to-reach areas. We cannot talk about universal health coverage without talking about the workforce that delivers care to the last mile.”
He outlined the four core pillars underpinning Sierra Leone’s healthcare delivery system: primary healthcare, which accounts for approximately 80 to 90 percent of national health investment; secondary and tertiary care delivered through hospitals; referral systems, including ambulances and mobile clinics; and health security, stressing that pandemics begin and end in communities.
Drawing from recent public health experiences, Dr. Senessie highlighted how Sierra Leone’s primary healthcare system, anchored by CHWs, proved critical during disease outbreaks such as Mpox. He recalled how district health teams and community workers mobilized rapidly and consistently, earning global recognition for their coordinated response.
“When we rolled out the call during Mpox, all of you rose up to the challenge, and almost every week we monitored progress together,” he said. “The community health workers are critical to this success—they are the first line of contact in disease prevention and response.”
The Deputy Minister explained that the nationwide verification and geo-mapping exercise is a direct response to persistent data gaps within the health workforce system. He noted that outdated rosters often include workers who have exited the system, while active CHWs in some communities remain unrecorded and unsupported. More significantly, the absence of precise geospatial data has limited the Ministry’s ability to assess coverage gaps and deploy resources strategically.
Under the new exercise, CHWs’ identities will be verified using biometric systems and government-issued identification protocols. GPS coordinates will be captured to link each worker to their specific catchment population, and all information will be digitized into a master registry integrated with national health information platforms such as DHIS2. According to Dr. Senessie, the resulting dataset will function as the single source of truth for the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, development partners, and disease-specific programmes, including malaria control, immunization services, and health supply chain management.
He emphasized that the credibility and usefulness of the registry depend on strict adherence to quality standards and active engagement from all stakeholders involved in the process.
“Data integrity is non-negotiable,” he stressed. “If the master register is flawed, our policies and investments will also be flawed. This is why every technical expert, every District Medical Officer, every partner must be rigorously engaged in this process.”
Primary Health Care Director Highlights Impact
Providing broader context for the exercise, Director of Primary Health Care Dr. Brima Osaio Kamara described the CHW programme as the backbone of Sierra Leone’s primary healthcare delivery system. He reflected on the situation prior to the institutionalization of the CHW programme, when healthcare delivery at the community level was limited and largely dependent on periodic outreach by Peripheral Health Unit staff.
“Before the institutionalization of the community health worker programme, there was a significant gap in primary healthcare,” Dr. Kamara explained. “PHU workers conducted outreach, but true healthcare delivery at the community level was limited.”
He detailed the transformative impact CHWs have had across multiple health indicators, including mobilizing pregnant women to attend antenatal care and deliver in health facilities, improving early childhood health interventions, supporting HIV care and medicine distribution at the community level, and providing rapid responses during outbreaks and public health emergencies.
Dr. Kamara acknowledged that the introduction of CHWs initially raised concerns among some stakeholders about the potential proliferation of unqualified practitioners within communities. However, he noted that these concerns have been comprehensively addressed through clearly defined roles, standardized training modules, and strong supervision frameworks.
“Those fears have been dispelled,” he said. “The roles of CHWs are clearly defined, training modules are standardized, and supervision is rigorous. They are essential, valued, and fully integrated into the health system.”
He commended district-level teams, supervisors, and PHU staff for their continued dedication and emphasized that sustaining and strengthening the CHW workforce remains a top priority for the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Alieu Wurie focused on the operational dimensions of the verification and geo-mapping exercise. He highlighted the extensive preparatory work undertaken to ensure smooth implementation at the district level and praised District Medical Officers, District Health Management Teams, and community supervisors for their ongoing oversight of CHW service delivery.
Dr. Wurie emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to transitioning away from paper-based systems toward high-tech digital solutions, positioning the CHW registry as a cornerstone of broader health system modernization efforts. He linked the exercise to other reforms, including the expansion of renewable energy-powered health facilities and the digitalization of medical supply chains.
UNICEF Representative Mr. Rudolf Schwenk praised the Government of Sierra Leone for its leadership and vision in advancing the CHW verification and geo-mapping initiative. He reaffirmed UNICEF’s continued technical and financial support for the programme, describing it as a strategic opportunity to modernize community health data and improve workforce planning.
“Every child deserves access to essential life-saving services, regardless of where they are born or live,” Mr. Schwenk said. “This initiative strengthens national systems and ensures that community health workers are supported, recognized, and equipped to deliver quality care.”
Across all presentations and interventions, speakers emphasized that the nationwide verification and geo-mapping exercise represents a digital reset for Sierra Leone’s health system. By replacing fragmented records with an integrated, verified, and geo-referenced registry, the initiative is expected to enhance workforce planning, promote equity and accountability, and improve service delivery outcomes nationwide.
The exercise will cover more than 6,000 community health workers across all districts, linking each worker to defined catchment populations and enabling data-driven decisions that ensure no community is overlooked.
In officially launching the exercise, Deputy Minister Dr. Charles Senessie reiterated that the initiative is not a stand-alone activity but a critical prerequisite for achieving universal health coverage.
“Investing in community health workers is an investment in the survival, development, and future of our children and in a stronger, more resilient Sierra Leone,” he said.
The verification and geo-mapping exercise will continue over the next 60 days, generating real-time data to support policymakers, health managers, and development partners in making informed, evidence-based decisions and ensuring that quality healthcare reaches every corner of the country.