IPNews-Monrovia: A joint surveillance meeting between Liberia and Sierra Leone has gotten underway in the Sierra Leonean  town of Bo.

According to our reporter covering the three days event sponsored by the World Health Organization, the International Organization on Migration of the United Nations-IOM, the Meeting seeks to strengthen cross-boarder collaboration between the governments of Liberia, and Sierra Leone, within the framework of preparedness and response to COVID-19.

Organizers informed IPNews that the meeting will also facilitate coordination and communication between Liberia and Sierra Leone in the implementation of COVID-19 preparedness and response activities.

Further the meeting will facilitate sharing of information between the two neighboring countries; and harmonized the implementation of public Health interventions at Port of Entry-PoE, between the two countries.

As part of the three days meeting, delegates from Liberia and Sierra Leone, are expected to developed new ideals aimed at improving coordination of communication between the two countries for the implementation of COVID-19 preparedness and response activities.

Furthermore, delegates are expected to sure information sharing in a framework of between the two neighboring countries; ensure the reduction and transportation of COVID-19 spread across the boarders of the two countries, and ensure public health interventions at the Port of Entry between the two countries are harmonized.

Speaking at the opening, Dr. Olusegun Adeoye, Coordinator, REDISSE project, West African Health Organization-WAHO, called on Liberia and Sierra Leone to ensure the aspect of Coordination, cooperation and communication are essential elements in enhancing Cross-boarder surveillance.

Dr. Adeoye, lauded WHO and IOM for their generous support to the holding of Cross-boarder meeting.

For his part IOM project Manager for Sierra Leone, Kunikazu Akao, stressed the implementation of proper migration between Liberia and Sierra Leone, especially the safety of Migrants during the response of COVID-19.

Dr. Akao, called on the two neighboring countries to increase collaboration for the implementation of COVID-19 preparedness and response.

Also speaking at the opening was WHO Resident Representative to Sierra Leone, Dr. Steven Shongwe, retrospected on the devastating impact of the EBOLA epidemic which began in a small village leading to a nearing collapse of the two countries economies.

Dr. Shougwe, stated that the experience of the Ebola virus epidemic should remind the two neighboring countries of the significance of cross-boarder collaboration, coordination and communication in disease surveillance at Port of Entry-PoE.

The Sierra Leonean Health expert said the issue of control mechanism must be one of the important aspect for ensuring that the two countries do not repeat the mistakes of the past that devastated them during the Ebola epidemic as both countries continued to battles the COVID-19 pandemic.

He stated that as part of implementing a robust Port of Entry, the WHO has supported the Sierra Leonean government in providing and developing key guild lines, building of capacity for surveillance officers at boarder post and the development of a standard SOP for surveillance purposes at the Port of Entry and its operations.

Dr. Shongwe called on members states to increase greater coordination in their implementation of boarder reopening initiatives by the two neighboring countries.

The WHO Sierra Leone Country Representative, advanced five principles for proper and efficient Port of Entry surveillance between Liberia and Sierra Leone, such as: coordination, cooperation, communication, community support, and community Engagement.

For the office of National Security, of Sierra Leone, Foday Mousa sesay, Provincial Security Coordinator, applauded the two countries, including other stakeholders such as WHO, and I for the holding of the cross boarder meeting.

Mr. Sesay noted that Office of the National Security in its realization of the cross boarder surveillance for both heath and key National security processes, remain committed to working with both sides of the boarders to ensure the timely sharing of information in the framework of enhancing coordination and collaboration.

In remarks, NACOVERC, encouraged all delegates to ensure that the outcome of the meeting properly informed their respective governments on cross boarder surveillance.

Representing the Liberian delegation, Grand Cape Mount Superintendent, Varney Sheriff, lauded WHO and IOM for the meeting which serves as an important platform for Mitigating the barriers that continued to undermine cross boarder coordination, collaboration,communication and community engagements.

Superintendent Sheriff, called on delegates to use the three days meeting as a catalyst to enhancing coordination, cooperation and communication.

Also speaking was Alhaji Dr. Momodu Sesay, Director Environmental Health and Sanitation, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Ministry of Health, Republic of Sierra Leone, touched on significant improvements by  Sierra Leone in its response efforts of COVID-19.

Dr. Sesay stated that the decline in COVID-19 cases in Sierra Leone remains laudable, yet there are still confronting issues to ensuring Sierra Leone is declare COVID-19 free.

Recounting on the Economic effects of COVID-19 on both Liberia and Sierra Leone, Dr. Sassy stated that much is needed to be implemented in the both government’s quest to adhering to all the preventative measures at various land crossing boarders by fully putting into play public need to ensuring straight adherence across both borders.

He stated that with the support of IOM and WHO, the Ministry of Health, Republic of Sierra Leone, currently have in place a national COVID-19 SoP to promote monitoring  of the COVID-19 Preparedness and response at Port of Entry.

Dr. Sesay called on participants to vigorously ensure the revision and adoption of the draft SoP to promptly guild both Liberia and Sierra Leone ground crossing ports of entry.

Touching on the pronouncement of new vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Sesay called on the World Health Organization-WHO, not to forget Africa in the purchase of the Vaccine as Africa also intends to ensure that Africa is free from COVID-19 .