Sierra Leone — News

24 August 2023

Improving hand hygiene practices for quality of health care in Sierra Leone

As Sierra Leone joined a network of over 180 countries around the world to commemorate World Hand Hygiene Day on the theme “Clean care for all – it’s in your hands”, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in collaboration with WHO, CDC and other partners has launched a week of advocacy to promote and sustain hand hygiene practices among healthcare workers in Sierra Leone. The week of clean care campaign aims to improve ongoing efforts at national and sub national levels to improve and sustain hand hygiene practices among health professionals, making information available on health care-associated information at health facility, community and district levels

16 August 2023 | Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Leveraging Ebola lessons to mitigate COVID-19 impact

With only 7766 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 125 deaths, Sierra Leone’s achievements in the face of the global pandemic have their roots in the harsh lessons delivered by the Ebola outbreak of 2014–2016, which took 4000 lives.

3 May 2023 | Emergencies Universal Health Coverage Health Systems Strengthening

Sierra Leone launches review to reinforce health emergency readiness, response

Sierra Leone today became the second African country, and the fifth globally, to launch a review of its health emergency preparedness and response capacity to identify gaps and reinforce measures against health shocks.

1 May 2023

Sierra Leone steps up capacity for health emergencies and disaster preparedness

Freetown, 1 May 2023 ‒The Government of Sierra Leone is this week holding a three-day Universal Health and Preparedness Review high-level meeting in the country’s capital, Freetown. The aim of the Universal Health and…

13 February 2023 | Emergencies Health Systems Strengthening

WHO Provides medical supplies to Bo Government Regional Hospital following mass casualty incident

Bo, 13 February 2023 – The World Health Organization Country Office in Sierra Leone has swiftly responded to a call by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to replenish medical supplies at the Bo Government Regional Hospital following an emergency response by the hospital team to a mass casualty incident that depleted the routine stockpile of medical supplies of the hospital.

25 January 2023 | Coronavirus (COVID-19) Immunization Health Systems Strengthening

COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership boosts Sierra Leone COVID-19 Vaccination with USD2.8 million worth donation.

Freetown, 25 January 2023 - The COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership, (CoVDP), have today handed over vehicles including motorbikes and computers worth over USD$2.8 million to support Government of Sierra Leone’s COVID-19 vaccine deployment. CoVDP is a joint venture of the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative (Gavi), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

21 December 2022 | Coronavirus (COVID-19) Emergencies

Sierra Leone vaccinates 70% of its population against COVID-19, meets global target

Freetown 21 December 2022 – Sierra Leone has achieved the global World Health Organization (WHO) target of fully vaccinating 70% of the population against COVID-19 by the end of 2022. The milestone places Sierra Leone among just three other countries in the African region to have reached the target. The 70% target was set by global health leaders with a strategy that outlined the priority actions needed from the different actors to achieve the targets.

20 October 2022 | Mental Health

Expanding treatment of mental illness in rural Sierra Leone

Living with mental illness has been a harrowing ordeal for Safiatu Kondeh. The 34-year-old, who lives in Kabala, northern Sierra Leone, with her mother and two children, has had to endure conditions almost worse than the disease.