Sierra Leone News

Sierra Leone commemorated World AIDS Day on 1 December 2012 on the theme Getting to zero new HIV Infection, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Death by 2015.

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.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) validated its central and districts level 2013 annual operational plans in Freetown from 8-9 November 2012. The plans were validated in a 2 day workshop held for the health sector partners including the MoHS national level officials, District Health Management Teams, the local councils authorities and development partners including the UN, donor and Non-Governmental Organizations to contribute in the finalization of the plans that will guide operations of the sector.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation launched three documents on Reproductive and Child Health programme on 7 November 2012. The documents included Reproductive, Newborn and Child Health (RNCH) Policy 2011-2015, RNCH Strategy 2011-2015 and a Strategic Plan for Adolescent and Young People’s Health & Development 2011-2015. The Acting Minister of Health and Sanitation Hon. Borbor Sawyerr launched the documents. State functionaries, UN agencies and other development partners, and health implementing partners attended the ceremony.

The Ministries of Health of Sierra Leone and Guinea conducted a 3 day cross border meeting on cholera and other priority diseases prevention and control, in Makeni Sierra Leone from 31 October to 2 November 2012.

Sierra Leone launched its National Mental Health Policy and Strategic Plan at the commemoration of World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2012. The documents and the commemoration were launched by the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Mrs Sia Nyama Koroma in a function attended by government functionaries and non-state actors including UN agencies and other development partners, mental health advocates, the civil society and the media.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) conducted diarrhoeal diseases, including cholera Case Management Training of Trainers workshop in Freetown from 25-28 September 2012 as part of the scaling up response to cholera outbreak.
The purpose of the intensive training was to build capacity of district supervisors and trainers from all the districts to serve as trainers of health facility staff in their respective districts. This will contribute to strengthening national capacity for clinical management of cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases thus ensuring sustainability.

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.

As of 23 September 2012, the cumulative number of cases and deaths reported by the Ministry of Health were 19,674 and 278 deaths respectively.

The number of daily reported cases of cholera continues to show a downward trend. On 23 September 2012, Western Area continued to report the highest number of cases (77), followed by Kenema (15) and Bombali (8) . No case of death was reported from all the districts. It is noted that case management has improved in most districts.

The national trend of the cholera situation in Sierra Leone continues to show a decline. Cases in the Western Area, which accounts for the highest number, are also on the decrease.

As of 20 September 2012, the update released by the Min-istry of Health and Sanitation on the outbreak reported 19,283 cases and 276 deaths with a case fatality rate of 1.4%. The Western Area reported the highest number of cases followed by Tonkolilli, Kenema and Bombali dis-tricts as shown in the table above. Kailahun remained the only district without a confirmed case.