In a proactive initiative, Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) recently engaged representatives from the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) to discuss the implementation plans of the Comprehensive Health and Epidemiological Surveillance System (CHESS) Technical Committee research.

The primary objective of this engagement was to provide NCRA representatives with an update on the progress made by the CHESS Technical Committee and to convey the readiness of Stats SL to undertake a successful CHESS research project.

Welcoming the NCRA team, Andrew Bob Johnny, the Statistician General, and CEO of Stats SL, expressed delight at their visit. He highlighted the longstanding amicable working relationship between the two institutions and affirmed his commitment to sustaining this collaboration in the future.

During the engagement, Brima Kamara, the Deputy Director General of NCRA, acknowledged the institution's keen interest in matters concerning the health of the Sierra Leonean population. He commended Stats SL for their efforts and viewed the CHESS research project as an opportunity to enhance their database, as the gathered data would contribute significantly to improving National Registration processes. Kamara expressed NCRA's eagerness for a collaborative partnership with Stats SL in executing the research project.

Lansana Kpewolo Kanneh, the Acting Deputy Statistician General of Stats SL, welcomed the NCRA representatives and expressed pleasure at receiving a delegation from a sister institution. He pledged further discussions to build a potential working relationship with NCRA beyond the CHESS research project.

CHESS represents a new generation of population surveillance operations, aiming to provide timely delivery of high-quality data for disease-specific and pathogen-specific morbidity, along with data for overall and cause-specific mortality.

This collaborative effort between Stats SL and NCRA underscores the commitment to leveraging data for enhanced health surveillance and reflects a positive stride towards a more integrated approach in managing public health information.