Sierra Leone News

The training targeted health workers from Kambia, Port Loko Districts and the Western Area. The cadre of the participants included medical doctors and nurses, national and district disease surveillance officers, laboratory tech-nicians, pharmacists, M&E and health education officers as well as sector partners such as the Office of National Security.

Sierra Leone launched the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Initiative on 2 October 2012 in Freetown. The event was launched by the Vice President (VP) of the republic, Chief Samuel Sam Sumana on behalf of His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. The launch is a demonstration of the high-level commitment of the government and its leadership in the Initiative.

The World Health Organization is supporting a five day theoretical and bench training of laboratory scientists and technologists on identification of bacterial pathogens, at the Central Public Health Reference Laboratory (CPHRL) in Freetown.

As of 24 August, 2012, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Sierra Leone has reported a total of 12,819 cholera cases with 224 deaths since January 2012, affecting 10 of the 13 districts in the country. The overall case fatality rate is 1.7% but has reached 14.6 % in Moyamba district. The majority of the cases, 48% have been reported from Western area where the capital city, Freetown is located. The highest number of new cases for the day were 190 and 40 reported in Western Area and Bombali respectively. None of the districts reported any deaths.

ierra Leone launched commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week 2012 on 1 August 2012 on the theme “Understanding the past - planning the future”. Every year World Breastfeeding Week is commemorated to promote and support early initiation (immediately after delivery) and exclusive breastfeeding of children 0-6 months as well as continued breast feeding until two years and beyond. The event was launched by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Alhassan Seisay.

Freetown 30 April 2014 - The Ministry of Health and Sanitation with support from Metabiota and WHO has trained 250 health workers on Ebola Virus Disease in Kenema, Kailahun, Kono, Pujehun and Western Area. The objective of the training was to provide updated information about Ebola Virus Disease focusing mainly on prevention. In that regard, emphasis was put on case detection, early reporting, sample collection and transportation, personal protection for health workers and communication.

Sierra Leone introduced the implementation of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy in 2004 and since then districts are reporting on a weekly basis. However, data collected does not capture information from hospitals.

The United Nations Joint Medical Services (UNJMS) hosted a one day Health Fair on 7 June 2013 with the theme “Spring to Health with UNJMS”. The objective of the fair was to promote good health by increasing health awareness among UN staff and their dependants as planned after debriefing of RPM 47 recommendations to involve the UN Country Team (UNCT).

The World Health Organization (WHO) supported the Sierra Leone Roads Transport Authority (SLRTA) to validate the National Road Safety Strategic Plan (2013-2015) in a 2 day multi stakeholders’ workshop held from 13-14 March 2013 in Freetown.  Some of the partners at the meeting included the  Sierra Leone Police, insurance companies, motor drivers’ union and vehicle owners,  health officials and line ministries, the local councils, civil society and partners including WHO among others.

Two staff members from WHO Sierra Leone that participated in a Personal Effectiveness Training Workshop in Brazzaville shared their experiences with their colleagues at the Country Office by replicating the training. Ms Hannah Yankson and Mrs Edith Gray together with staff from other Country Offices attended the workshops from 4 to 7 December 2012 organized by the Staff Devel-opment and Learning Unit at the Regional Office in Brazzaville, Congo.