𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧 𝐀𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐣𝐚𝐧…

𝑨𝒃𝒊𝒅𝒋𝒂𝒏, 𝑪𝒐̂𝒕𝒆 𝒅’𝑰𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒓𝒆 | 𝑱𝒖𝒏𝒆 3, 2026 – The 3rd High-Level Meeting of the Health and Public Service Network of Africa (HaPSNA) has come to a successful and productive end, with nine countries in Africa reaffirming their unwavering commitment to Public Service and Health Workforce Development.

The meeting was presided over by Dr. Josiah F. Joekai Jr., Director-General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), in his capacity as Chairman of the Health and Public Service Network of Africa (HaPSNA).

Liberia’s delegation to the meeting included Mr. Mulbah K. Yorgbor Jr., Roland D. Kallon and Ms. Edleen Tasha Clark of the Civil Service Agency, as well as Dr. Wiyata Tamara Diggs Koker of the Ministry of Health.

Delegates, with extensive technical knowledge in health workforce development and civil service reform, ably represented their respective countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Benin, the Central African Republic, Ghana, Nigeria, and The Gambia.

In a detailed Action Plan, they pledged to champion reforms aimed at improving workforce planning, strengthening health worker remuneration and retention, enhancing accountability mechanisms, and accelerating the institutionalization of community health workers within government structures. Through country presentations and technical exchanges, participating nations highlighted significant progress in strengthening primary healthcare delivery and expanding community health programs.

They also identified several common challenges, including inadequate financing for community health initiatives, workforce shortages, limited career advancement opportunities for community health workers, weak human resource management systems, gaps in training and supervision, and delays in formally integrating health workers into civil service structures.

However, the participants emphasized that addressing these challenges will require stronger collaboration between ministries responsible for health and public service, as well as sustained political commitment to strengthening both sectors.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Josiah F. Joekai Jr., Chairman of HaPSNA and Director-General of Liberia’s Civil Service Agency, described the two-day gathering as highly productive and action-oriented.“I am pleased to report that our deliberations over the past two days have been highly productive, insightful, and action-oriented. The meeting provided a unique platform for member states to evaluate the status of their community health workforce programs, primary healthcare systems, public service structures, and ongoing efforts to integrate community health workers and other frontline health personnel into national civil service systems,” Dr. Joekai said in his closing remarks.

Dr. Joekai disclosed that member states agreed to intensify efforts toward implementing their respective national action plans and ensuring that commitments made in Abidjan translate into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens across the continent.

He also acknowledged a key recommendation from Pierre N’Gou Dimba, Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage of Côte d’Ivoire, that future sessions of HaPSNA should formally include both Ministers of Health and Ministers responsible for Public Service from each member state.

Dr. Joekai noted that the recommendation, made by Minister Dimba, is well received and will be incorporated into preparations for the Fourth Sitting of HaPSNA, scheduled for the first week of March 2027. “As Chairman of the Health and Public Service Network of Africa, I urge all member states to fully implement their national action plans, sustain the momentum generated during this meeting, and continue strengthening partnerships that advance human health, public service excellence, and sustainable development across our continent,” he stated.

He further emphasized that the collaboration among HaPSNA, HeDPAC, and member states demonstrates that Africa’s development challenges can be effectively addressed through African leadership, African solutions, and African partnerships.

Also speaking at the closing ceremony, Minister Pierre N’Gou Dimba reaffirmed the Government of Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to the objectives and activities of HaPSNA and pledged to incorporate relevant policy reforms emerging from the meeting into his country’s health system.

Minister Dimba also re-echoed an earlier commitment made by the Prime Minister of Ivoiry Coast, Robert Beugré Mambé, that his government will lead the campaign for HaPSNA to be included into the organizational structure of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The 3rd High-Level Meeting of the Health and Public Service Network of Africa was attended by several high profile guests from public and private development partners, as well as members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Côte d’Ivoire.