By Millicent Senava Mannah
In a concerted effort to enhance urban wellbeing through participatory health governance, the Accountability and Responsiveness in Informal Settlements (ARISE) Consortium Sierra Leone convened its 7th City Learning Platform Meeting. Supported by the Global Challenge Research Fund, this significant gathering took place on Tuesday, March 19th, 2024, under the theme: “Achieving an Inclusive and Participatory Health Governance – Scaling Up Actions and Interventions for Improved Urban Wellbeing.” The venue for this impactful event was the CCSL Conference Hall on King Harman Road.
Comprising the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC), KOHDOSAPA, COMAHS, and FEDURP, the ARISE Consortium assembled community members, researchers, organizations, and Government officials. Braima Koroma, Director of Research at SLURC, emphasized the City Learning Platform (CiLP) as a crucial forum for collaborative learning and problem-solving in urban contexts. He highlighted three key objectives: fostering policy dialogue, establishing feedback mechanisms between communities and city authorities, and proposing participatory solutions to urban challenges.
Senior Researcher, Abu Conteh, representing SLURC, presented findings from an exploratory study on health and wellbeing drivers in informal settlements specifically  Dwarzack, Moyiba and Cockle bay.. He stressed the necessity of amplifying the voices of marginalized residents and addressing systemic challenges within the country’s health system, including budgetary constraints and urbanization.
Nathaniel Soloku from the Ministry of Health underscored the importance of stakeholder inclusion in national health planning and policymaking to achieve equity and accountability.
Sarah Cundy, Team Lead at CONCERN Worldwide, emphasized community empowerment and transparent information sharing as cornerstones of effective intervention strategies.
Housing emerged as a significant challenge for residents of informal settlements, compounded by inadequate access to basic amenities such as roads, electricity and healthcare. Cundy reiterated the importance of inclusivity in decision-making processes, emphasizing the need for stakeholder consultations and community partnerships.
The event featured group work sessions and participant presentations, culminating in a series of statements affirming the commitment to inclusive urban governance and collective action for improved urban wellbeing.
