Sierra Leone News

Central Public Health Reference Laboratory (CPHRL) of Sierra Leone has been provisionally accredited to undertake measles and Yellow Fever (YF) laboratory diagnoses in the country by World Health Organization. The experts from WHO Headquarters and Inter-country Support Team of West Africa awarded the provisional accreditation following intensive bench training on laboratory diagnosis techniques and thorough assessment of the suitability of the laboratory set up.

Preparation leading to the implementation of the first round of 2012 polio National Immunisation Days (NIDs) Campaign are on-going in Sierra Leone. Chiefdom level micro-plannings have been completed and compiled at district and national levels; and orientation of civil society groups, training of National Supervisors, Independent Monitors and the media have been done. The trainings would be rolled out to the districts and chiefdom levels with the objective to ensure quality training of vaccinators and to increase participation of community stakeholders.

Dr Wondi Alemu, WHO Representative handed over various items worth US$600,000 to Hon Minister of Health & Sanitation, Mrs Zainab Bangura on behalf of the WHO Director General, Dr Margaret Chan and the Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo on 19 March 2012. The Representative stated that WHO has prioritized building capacity of MoHS to take owner-ship of its programmes thereby ensuring strengthened and sustained health system for better health outcomes in the country. He assured WHO's continued support to improve the country's health indicators.

In this Issue
1. Harmonization of Partners Financial Arrangement
2. Assessment of Nutrition Interventions in the Western Area
3. Launch of a Partnership for Safe Medicines Initiative
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Harmonization and Alignment of Development Partners Financial Management Arrangements
Background

The National School of Midwifery, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, sworn-in 55 newly qualified midwifes on 18 February 2012. The mid-wifes were awarded certificates after completing their training for 18 months in midwifery. The certificates were awarded by Mrs Annerieke Owen-Huisman, wife of the US Ambassador to Sierra Leone.

The Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Roads Transport Authority (SLRTA), Dr Sarah Bendu, on Thursday 9 February paid a courtesy call on the WHO Representative in Sierra Leone, Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu. The purpose of Dr Bendu's visit was to discuss road safety which she described as a "major challenge facing the public".

The World Health Organization and the United Nations Foundation undertook a joint mission to Sierra Leone as part of the measles partnership advocacy. The objectives of the mission were to raise awareness among local authorities and partners on the Measles Initiative and the current challenges for achieving the measles pre-elimination goal in Africa by 2012, assess preparedness for the campaign and make recommendations for acceleration of activities and support local resource mobilization to finance part of the operational costs of the campaign.

A team of international financial management and health technical experts of the Joint Funding Platform completed a one week scoping mission in Sierra Leone. The team comprised of experts from GAVI, Global Fund World Bank and WHO. The mission was conducted under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) and facilitated by different levels of WHO.

The Directorate of Disease Prevention and Control (DPC) in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) held its 4th quarter 2011 disease surveillance review meeting from 20-21 January 2012. The meeting examined the status of surveillance activities in the country for the period under review and set agenda for the first quarter of 2012.

In this Issue