Sierra Leone News

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) with technical and financial support of WHO conducted a three day health sector Human Resource Working Group consultative workshop from 3-5 May 2012. The Working Group deliberated on the draft Human Resources for Health (HRH) Policy, Strategic Plan and Profile for Sierra Leone.

WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone held a consultative meeting to discuss the 2012-2013 biennial work plan (BWP) with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) on 28 July 2011. The biennial work plan is prepared based on the National Health Sector Strategic Plan (NHSSP), the Agenda For Change (PRSP-2), the Country Cooperation Strategy, 2008-2013, the WHO African Region Strategic Direction and other global health priorities.

Sierra Leone launched the first African Vaccination Week (AVW) on 23rd May to strengthen national immunization programmes and improve knowledge among parents and caregivers about the need to vaccinate their children against vaccine preventable diseases.

The Week was launched by the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Mrs Sia Nyama Koroma in Freetown in a colourful ceremony in the presence of government functionaries, UN agencies, other development partners, health workers, the civil society and the gen-eral public.

Freetown, 31 July 2014 - His Excellency President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone made a visit to the Ebola Emergency Operational Centre (EOC) work station at the World Health Organization Country Office in Sierra Leone on 31 July 2014. The President made the visit to assess readiness of the EOC which is the leading Coordination Structure in the Ebola outbreak response in Sierra Leone. Membership of the EOC comprised of heads of strategic local and international development agencies including the United Nations agencies, MSF, and other partners.

Freetown, 1 August 2014 - The WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone on 1 August 2014 donated a consignment of assorted items worth US$38,000 to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. The donation is part of WHO’s continued support to the government of Sierra Leone in the Ebola outbreak response. The various items included 3,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to protect health workers particularly those that are directly involved in the management of cases in the treatment centres, the ambulance and burial teams. 

Freetown, 9 August 2014 – The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, on Saturday, visited the Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at the WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone. This is the second visit of the President in 10 days. He made true his promise during his first visit on 31 July that he would be following up on the emergency response activities of the EOC.

Freetown, 11 August 2014 – President Ernest Bai Koroma made his third visit to the Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at the WHO Country Office in Freetown today 11 August. The President last visited the Centre on Saturday 9 August. In today’s visit the President participated in the daily meeting where he received briefing by the Minister of Health and Sanitation Ms Miatta Kargbo and the EOC body on the decisions, required actions and measures agreed upon by the EOC members as well as progress and challenges in the response.

Freetown 8 April 2014 - WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone donated various personal protective equipment (PPE) in response to the Ebola outbreak in neighboring Guinea and Liberia. This second of at least 4 more consignments included more than 2,000 PPE suits, respirators, gloves, face shields, face masks, gowns , body bags and bio hazard plastic bags.

12 September 2014 -- Cuba is known the world over for its ability to train excellent doctors and nurses who can then go out to help other countries in need. And now it will send a medical team of 165 people to Sierra Leone to help in the frontline in the Ebola response efforts.
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As the Ebola outbreak grows and spreads, a small but significant group of people is also growing - the Ebola survivors. Emerging shell-shocked from what one described as a "glimpse of hell", the survivors have not found life easy on the other side of the Ebola ward.

Some in the community brand them as "witches" for surviving. For many, the faces they longed to see again while lying in the Ebola ward are no longer there. Husbands, wives, children, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers have all been carried off to unmarked graves by Ebola virus disease.