When I was a public health graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, my native country of Ethiopia was all too often a topic of conversation. Every time talk centered on poor health indicators, Ethiopia was there. I asked myself why, despite the efforts of the government, donors and NGOs, the situation could not be improved. Hearing my country discussed this way strengthened my resolve to go back and work for Ethiopia.

As Ethiopia Country Lead for the Ministerial Leadership Initiative for Global Health (MLI), I have finally found some answers. I am convinced country ownership is the key to making significant improvements in health status.  Country ownership is when the government drives development of a sound national plan and strategies, and coordinates, mobilizes and streamlines existing and new local and international resources to support the plan. This is only possible with the establishment of collaborative, trusted and supportive relationship between the government, development partners and NGOs.

Some people scoffed at Sierra Leone’s plan to make health care free for all children under five, pregnant women and mothers who were breast-feeding. How could a country at the bottom of the world’s health indicators suddenly open the doors to all government health facilities and say there is no charge for service?

Now, six months after the start of free health care, Sierra Leone has proven it could do it. Read on for H. E. President Ernest Bai Koroma's insight to the initiative, one of his personal priorities for his country.