Mr. Abu Ansumana Conteh, aged 64 years now. A Community Health Officfer by profession with over thirty years of working and learning experiences both in the Public Health service of the Ministry of Health of Sierra Leone and also as a Tutor, then Paramedical School in Bo. Also, as a Lecturer and I served as Acting Head of Community Health Department Njala University for six years, presently serving as an Associate Lecturer in Community Health.

As a human Resource challenged nation, I have had the challenge of teaching several disciplines including Health service Management and Administration, Epidemiology, Demography and Health Statistics for the past 3o years.

In the Ministry of Health of Sierra Leone, I served as a Community Health Officer (CHO) an equivalent of Medical Assistant or a Physician Assistant professional in Clinical Medicine up to the level of the first Chief CHO, where I served as the head of the Administration for CHOs in the Ministry and retired after serving for over 30 years.

Now appointed to serve as the first Chairman of the Allied Health Professions Council – Sierra Leone (AHPC-SL). By His Excellence, President (Rtd) Dr. Julius Maada Bio for the Ministry of Health in 2023. This Council is responsible for: the accreditation of all Allied professionals according the Act and all Allied health Training and practising institutions. Issue of Licenses to trained and qualified professionals and regulation of practices of the health workforce who are not Medical Officers, Nurse and Pharmacist in the country.

In terms of the long academic and experience journey and achievements, I was among the first set of graduate CHOs in 1986 from Bo Paramedical School then. Also, a graduate of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool University UK, where I graduated with a Master of Community Health in 2005, (Master of International Public Health). Other post graduate Certificates and Diplomas. One year Diploma in Community Health from the International Training Centre- African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) in Nairobi Kenya, where I graduated in 1995. Certificates in Field Epidemiology in Sierra Leone conducted Jointly with Sierra Leone Government (SLG) and CDC Atlanta USA, in 2015, Certificate In Disease Prevention and Control from the Peoples Republic of China in 2016, from Juanctio Institute of Disease Prevention and Control-(China CDC), Certificate in Community Health from the Republic Japan in 2017 – (Through Jaica). Certificates in Leadership and Management in Health Care, one conducted jointly by SLG and CDC Atlanta USA and another from Washington University in 2019.

I represented Sierra Leone in the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) where I fully participated in the harmonization of the Training Curriculum for the Community Health Professionals- Bachelor of Science of Community Health (BSc.) degree and Diploma for Universities in the Sub-Region from 2010 to 2014. Now adapted for CHOs at Njala University.

A member of several Professional Organisations in Sierra Leone

1. 2023 to present -Chairman, Allied Health Professions Council Sierra Leone

2. 2022 to present -Chairman- Federation of Community Health Workers Sierra Leone

3. 2022 to present- Chairman - Southern Agricultural Farmers Union Sierra Leone – (SAFU-SL)

4. 1994 to Present-Member- Sierra Leone Association of Community Health Officers (SLACHO)

5. 1994 to date - Bo Ahmadiyya Old Students Association (BAOSA)

Mr. Abu Ansumana Conteh