A consensus meeting on the development of a national Health Master Plan took off on Wednesday at the Baobab Lodge in Bijilo.

This exercise - preceded by a string of courtesy calls on relevant authorities, is spearheaded by the Department of State for Health, through its Department of Planning and Information, with the technical support of the World Health Organisation and the goodwill of other stakeholders. The five-day meeting involves the review of the health policy and the development of a five-year national Health Master Plan, which will serve as a guide for all investments and a tool for coordinating donor and partner inputs in the health sector.

The plan will seek to improve service delivery system, efficiency and effective supervision and monitoring mechanism at all levels of the sector. The last Health Master Plan ended in 2003, hence the need to develop a new one for 2007-2011.

Delivering the opening statement, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare, Saihou Janneh, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare, said the health status of the nation is a major determinant of productivity and the overall economic welfare of the population. DPS Janneh reminded the participants about the objective of the meeting, saying, “You have gathered here today to formulate and agree on the objectives and the targets of the Health Master Plan”.

He then added: “The elaboration of a detailed Health Master Plan and the costing of the activities will be undertaken by an inter-sectoral and multi-disciplinary technical team that has already been constituted by the Department of State for Health.”

Mr. Janneh noted that the draft Health Master Plan is subjected to further deliberations by all stakeholders at national and regional levels to ensure that the concerns and aspirations of all are adequately addressed.

Dr Nestor Shivute, WHO Country Representative, said the efforts and resources of the WHO Country Office will be directed, where necessary towards strategic directions and guiding principles. Dr Shivute said this involves supporting the implementation of priority health programmes and catalysing the adoption of technical strategies and innovation. He said this will also include supporting research, development and stimulating the improvement of health sector performance and providing information, sharing knowledge among other levels of the health system.

He told the development partners and stakeholders to ensure that any future support to the health sector is done within the context of this master plan.

Sekou Omar Toure, Director of Planning and Information at the Department of State for Health, chaired the opening ceremony.