A delegation from the Mozambique Ministry of Health, led by National Director of Public Health Dr. Quinhas Francisco Fernandes, visited Sierra Leone from March 25th to 29th for a South-to-South learning and experience sharing facilitated by the WHO Country Office. The visit focused on learning from Sierra Leone's experiences in emergency management, preparedness, and response.

The Mozambican team engaged with Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health, including the Minister and Deputy Minister, as well as the National Public Health Agency (NPHA) leadership. Discussions centered on public health emergency management and surveillance, exploring successes, challenges, and the impact of existing systems.

During the visit, the team also met with the National Disaster Management Agency to learn about Sierra Leone's emergency response to disasters. They toured the sub-national Emergency Operations Center in Port Loko District to observe procedures and processes in action.

The team held productive discussions with Dr. Innocent B. Nuwagira, the WHO Representative, and the EPR team at the country office. They expressed gratitude to the Government of Sierra Leone for hosting their study tour and to WHO for facilitating the visit. Collaboration between WHO, MoH, and other health partners was acknowledged for enhancing emergency response efforts in Sierra Leone.

Dr. Nuwagira emphasized WHO's contributions to building a resilient emergency preparedness and response system. He highlighted the importance of commitment, transparency, teamwork, and collaboration between government and partners in achieving successful outcomes.

The visit concluded with the Mozambican team expressing appreciation for the insights gained during their stay and reinforcing the value of South-to-South collaboration in strengthening public health systems.