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Sierra Leone News

Sierra Leone achieves 99% measles and rubella immunization coverage in nationwide ca...

Sierra Leone successfully completed a nationwide Measles and Rubella (MR) Supplementary Immunization campaign, achieving 99% coverage of the targeted population, according to administrative data. This campaign, which focused on children aged 9 to 59 months, resulted in the vaccination of 1,336,845 children. Notably, the campaign also identified and vaccinated 16,132 zero-dose children who had previously missed out on essential vaccinations. 

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Empowering youth as ambassadors for tobacco control in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone's youths have emerged as pivotal ambassadors in the fight against tobacco use, with enhanced awareness and advocacy skills aimed at resisting the influence of the tobacco industry. Their growing involvement is key in protecting their health, wellbeing, and making informed decisions about tobacco consumption.

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Keeping the momentum towards polio eradication in Sierra Leone

Freetown - In March 2024, the government of Sierra Leone declared a polio outbreak in the country implying that unvaccinated children were vulnerable to the type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV2). In April, WHO and other GPEI partners supported MOH to undertake the 1st round of the nation-wide vaccination campaign to control the spread of the poliovirus that had been detected in environmental samples. The 1st round covered all 16 districts reaching close to 1.7 million children under 5 years.

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Sierra Leone concludes First Round of a Nationwide Polio Vaccination

The Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and National Public Health Agency with support of WHO and other partners including UNICEF, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance have completed the first round of a nation-wide vaccination campaign to control the spread of vaccine-derived type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV2) in Sierra Leone.
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Sierra Leone reaches historic milestone as malaria vaccination launched

Freetown ‒ Sierra Leone has one of the highest malaria burdens in the world, with more than 2 million hospital admissions a year, half of which are among children aged under 5 years ‒ accounting for 20% of deaths in this age group.

In addition to the existing tools in the fight against malaria, which include insecticide-treated nets, indoor spraying and effective diagnosis and treatment, two safe and effective vaccines ‒ RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) and R21 ‒ have been recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent malaria in children. 

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