In a transformative stride for the nation’s healthcare system, the Directorate of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Sierra Leone Nursing and Midwifery Council (SLNMC), officially launched the groundbreaking SLNMC Digital Regulatory Platform. Supported significantly by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), this pioneering cloud-based system marks a decisive end to cumbersome manual processes, introducing a secure, integrated solution for the registration, licensing, and ongoing regulation of Sierra Leone’s vital nursing and midwifery workforce.
The platform’s launch addresses a critical national need, targeting the approximately 18,000 nurses and midwives who constitute nearly 80% of Sierra Leone’s healthcare professionals. By digitizing the entire lifecycle of professional credentialing – from initial application and verification through to licensure, renewal, and disciplinary oversight – the SLNMC Digital Regulatory Platform promises unprecedented levels of transparency, data accuracy, and institutional accountability. This technological leap is designed to drastically reduce administrative delays and paperwork burdens that have historically plagued the system, freeing up valuable time for healthcare delivery and enabling real-time oversight of workforce credentials and distribution.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, the Minister of Health underscored the platform’s strategic importance in strengthening the backbone of the nation’s health services. “On behalf of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio and the people of Sierra Leone, I am proud to launch this essential platform,” the Minister declared. “Empowering our nurses and midwives with efficient, transparent systems is fundamental to improving healthcare access and quality across the nation. This initiative directly enhances our capacity to manage, support, and deploy our largest and most critical segment of the health workforce effectively.”
The Minister emphasized that the platform is more than a bureaucratic tool; it is a cornerstone for building a more robust, responsive, and trustworthy healthcare sector. DSTI’s Chief Innovation Officer highlighted the institution’s commitment to health systems strengthening, stating, “From PReSTrack transforming pharmaceutical supply chains to this new platform revolutionizing professional regulation, DSTI is relentlessly focused on developing digital public goods that underpin President Bio’s Human Capital Development agenda. The SLNMC platform exemplifies our mission: leveraging secure, scalable technology to solve complex governance challenges and improve citizen services.”
The UNFPA Representative reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Sierra Leone’s health workforce development, noting that efficient regulation is key to retaining skilled professionals and ensuring quality maternal and reproductive healthcare. The secure, centralized nature of the cloud-based system guarantees data integrity and enables comprehensive analytics for workforce planning, while its accessibility streamlines compliance for practitioners nationwide. This launch signifies Sierra Leone’s proactive embrace of digital governance, setting a new standard for professional regulation within the health sector and paving the way for a more efficient, accountable, and data-driven healthcare future for all citizens.