In order to advance the implementation of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), the Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization, (WHO) recently conducted a multi-sectoral resource mapping exercise to facilitate the identification of financial and technical resources, needs, and gaps in Leribe District. A total of 291 operational NAPHS activities have been identified from the different technical areas with a total NAPHS cost of $53, 277,248.

The Technical Officer from the Health Security Preparedness (HSP) Department, WHO Headquarters, Sean Cockerham explained that the resource mapping exercise would provide the government, donors, agencies, and other multi-sectoral stakeholders with better visibility of available and potential resources for health security. This will further accelerate the implementation of the Operational National Action Plan for Health Security.

“This will provide a platform for monitoring the implementation of NAPHS and identifying specific technical needs for assistance in completing activities needed to strengthen health security”, Cockerham explained.

The Minister of Health, Selibe Mochoboroane in his speech referred to the progress made in terms of prevention, detection, and timely response to public health events and emergencies since the introduction of the International Health Regulations in Lesotho. He emphasized the need for multi-sectoral collaboration in the delivery of health services with a focus on national health security. He reiterated the government’s commitment to providing quality health services for all irrespective of geographical location, and socio-economic status.  The Minister appreciated the WHO for facilitating the exercise and called on all stakeholders to work towards the implementation of the NAPHS and all priorities of the government.

“I further thank WHO for facilitating and supporting this exercise both technically and financially.  I equally express appreciation to all government agencies that have released officers to participate in this important exercise”, he stated.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative to Lesotho, Dr. Richard Banda noted that the National Action Plan for Health Security is a medium-term strategic plan for improving IHR (2005) core capacities. He explained that if the country invests in activities addressing the 15 IHR (2005) core capacities, it will lead to a timely and effective response to public health events, thereby reducing morbidity, mortality, and other socio-economic impacts of health outbreaks. He stressed the need to adhere to some key guiding principles of NAPHS such as country ownership, primary health care approach, equity, community involvement, integrated approach, multi-sectoral collaboration, transparency, accountability, gender, ethics, and human rights.

Some participants described the resource mapping exercise as beneficial to responding to public health emergencies using the One Health Approach.

Senior Laboratory Technologist, Ministry of Agriculture, Mabusetsa Makalo said, “This exercise will provide scientific data on the resources and partners available to NAPHS, as well as facilitate an equitable distribution of resources and stakeholder engagement”. He added that “a significant amount of resources and initiatives are being directed towards addressing challenges in the human health sector, which is a good thing. However, animal health and other sectors are severely under-resourced, so unless the gaps are addressed, Lesotho and the entire globe will not be able to achieve sustainable health outcomes”.  

A lecturer from the National University of Lesotho (NUL), Ts'aletseng Siimane, stated that “Information collected from the exercise would be used to update the existing school curricula and also help to identify areas that present research gaps. Ultimately managers in academic institutions will be briefed so that they work towards improving their own systems to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies in their own intuitions”.

The workshop was attended by the following ministries, agencies, and partners: the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry Of Defense, National Security and Environment, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, United Nations Agencies(WHO, International Organization for Migration and World Bank) and other health partners (USAID, CHAI, Red Cross, Right to Care, Partners In Health, and Riders for Health ). NAPHS is based on an all-hazards and whole-of-government approach, and multisector engagement and ownership are vital for implementation.

In order to advance the implementation of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), the Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization, (WHO) recently conducted a multi-sectoral resource mapping exercise to facilitate the identification of financial and technical resources, needs, and gaps in Leribe District. A total of 291 operational NAPHS activities have been identified from the different technical areas with a total NAPHS cost of $53, 277,248.

The Technical Officer from the Health Security Preparedness (HSP) Department, WHO Headquarters, Sean Cockerham explained that the resource mapping exercise would provide the government, donors, agencies, and other multi-sectoral stakeholders with better visibility of available and potential resources for health security. This will further accelerate the implementation of the Operational National Action Plan for Health Security.

“This will provide a platform for monitoring the implementation of NAPHS and identifying specific technical needs for assistance in completing activities needed to strengthen health security”, Cockerham explained.

The Minister of Health, Selibe Mochoboroane in his speech referred to the progress made in terms of prevention, detection, and timely response to public health events and emergencies since the introduction of the International Health Regulations in Lesotho. He emphasized the need for multi-sectoral collaboration in the delivery of health services with a focus on national health security. He reiterated the government’s commitment to providing quality health services for all irrespective of geographical location, and socio-economic status.  The Minister appreciated WHO for facilitating the exercise and called on all stakeholders to work towards the implementation of the NAPHS and all priorities of the government.

“I further thank WHO for facilitating and supporting this exercise both technically and financially.  I equally express appreciation to all government agencies that have released officers to participate in this important exercise”, he stated.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative to Lesotho, Dr. Richard Banda noted that the National Action Plan for Health Security is a medium-term strategic plan for improving IHR (2005) core capacities. He explained that if the country invests in activities addressing the 15 IHR (2005) core capacities, it will lead to a timely and effective response to public health events, thereby reducing morbidity, mortality, and other socio-economic impacts of health outbreaks. He stressed the need to adhere to some key guiding principles of NAPHS such as country ownership, primary health care approach, equity, community involvement, integrated approach, multi-sectoral collaboration, transparency, accountability, gender, ethics, and human rights.

Some participants described the resource mapping exercise as beneficial to responding to public health emergencies using the One Health Approach.

Senior Laboratory Technologist, Ministry of Agriculture, Mabusetsa Makalo said, “This exercise will provide scientific data on the resources and partners available to NAPHS, as well as facilitate an equitable distribution of resources and stakeholder engagement”. He added that “a significant amount of resources and initiatives are being directed towards addressing challenges in the human health sector, which is a good thing. However, animal health and other sectors are severely under-resourced, so unless the gaps are addressed, Lesotho and the entire globe will not be able to achieve sustainable health outcomes”.  

A lecturer from the National University of Lesotho (NUL), Ts'aletseng Siimane, stated that “Information collected from the exercise would be used to update the existing school curricula and also help to identify areas that present research gaps. Ultimately managers in academic institutions will be briefed so that they work towards improving their own systems to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies in their own intuitions”.

The workshop was attended by the following ministries, agencies, and partners: the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry Of Defense, National Security and Environment, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, United Nations Agencies(WHO, International Organization for Migration and World Bank) and other health partners (USAID, CHAI, Red Cross, Right to Care, Partners In Health, and Riders for Health ). NAPHS is based on an all-hazards and whole-of-government approach, and multisector engagement and ownership are vital for implementation.