Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health, Dr Austin Demby, has highlighted the importance of technology and reliable data in improving healthcare delivery in the country.
Dr Demby made the remarks on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, while addressing the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit in the United Arab Emirates, held from 20 to 22 October.
Speaking on the topic, “Connecting the Dots: From Population Sensing to Individual Care,” the minister explained how Sierra Leone was using technology and data to improve health services and monitor trends to support timely decision-making.
He said the country was moving away from disease-based interventions towards a person-centred healthcare approach that considers people’s needs throughout their lives, from pregnancy and birth to old age.
Dr Demby recalled that Sierra Leone previously had one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates but said government initiatives had contributed to significant improvements in maternal and infant health.
He highlighted the launch of the 300 Days Activism initiative, which aims to eliminate preventable maternal and child deaths, describing it as a national effort driven by strong political leadership under President Julius Maada Bio.
According to the minister, the initiative involves traditional leaders, civil society organisations, healthcare workers and communities in efforts to improve health outcomes. He also noted that digital applications were helping health authorities build comprehensive patient profiles and monitor individuals’ healthcare needs.
Dr Demby further observed that African countries were increasingly adopting data-driven decision-making to assess progress, expand successful interventions and discontinue approaches that were not producing results.
He said the approach could improve efficiency, strengthen accountability and deliver better returns on healthcare investments.
The minister was accompanied to the summit by Chief Medical Officer Dr Mustapha Kabba and Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Rashid Sesay.
Earlier, Dr Demby and other global health leaders attending the summit met with the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
