From left to right: Mr Abdulrahman Sessay - Dep. Director NAS, Patricia Ongpin - UNAIDS Strategic Policy Advisor, Jeanne Kamara - Country Manager Christian AID, Rev Alimamy Kargbo - CCM Chair, and Marie Benjamin - SWAASL.

The National HIV/AIDS Secretariat in collaboration with its partners held a three day workshop on the 9th to 11th March 2017. The aim of the workshop was to access the National HIV M&E System. The National HIV M&E Assessment is a diagnostic exercise that enables stakeholders in HIV M&E to identify strengths and weaknesses in the current system and recommend actions to improve the system.

Sierra Leone joined the global village to commemorate World AIDS Day on Thursday 1st December 2016. This year’s event stands in solidarity with the 78 million people who have become infected with HIV and remember the 35 million who have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the first cases of HIV were reported.

December 1st every year is commemorated around the globe as World AIDS Day, geared towards raising awareness about the disease, examine the strides made in combating the disease and map out new method in tackling the disease.

The Global Fund involvement in to Sierra Leone dated back 2002, since that time, the Global Fund have been providing the bulk of the funding to support the fight against TB, Malaria and HIV/AAIDS. But over time the Global Fund has increasingly interested in strengthening the Health System Component (HSS) as a whole underpinning the realization of the fact that unless we address the issue of the health work force, pharmaceutical supply change and enhancing the capacity of hospitals and laboratories, all investment in these interventions would come at stake has had been with Ebola.

The National AIDS Commission and its partners commemorate this year World AIDS Day on Tuesday 1^st December 2015 at the Kenema City Plaza. This year’s event which is held with the theme “Fast-track to end AIDS: get tested” has the former Vice President of Uganda Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe as a special Guest of Honour.

Launching of the HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plan 2016 - 2020

Delivering the commemoration message the Minister of Health and Sanitation who represented His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma thanked the people of Kenema for hosting the World’s AIDS Day,as this was part of government’s devolved commitment in bringing its people closer. The function was capped with the launching of the 2016 strategy geared towards reducing new HIV infections to zero.