Sierra Leone News

Sierra Leone joined the global community in commemorating World Mental Health Day on the theme: mental health and Long Term Illnesses: The Need for Continued and Integrated Care. The day is commemorated annually to raise awareness on mental health issues. The day was observed with broadcast statement, a float parade and an a formal ceremony.

WHO Country Office in Sierra Leone donated vehicles, motor bikes and various equipment and furniture to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) as part of its continued support to the country’s health sector.

The items worth over US$400,000, were procured for different programmes including Blood Transfusion, Laboratory strengthening, Malaria Control, Disease Prevention and Control, Nutrition, Reproductive and Child Health, and Human Resources and Medical & Dental Council of Sierra Leone.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) with support from WHO initiated the first step to establish system aimed at contributing to the hu-man security and development. Experts were drawn from all WHO levels to assist the country to conduct a situation analysis that led to a roadmap in health sector risk reduction and emergency management (DRM).

As part of the commemoration of World No Tobacco Day 2011, there has been increased momentum in the campaign for tobacco control in Sierra Leone. The theme for this year's campaign is "The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control". The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) treaty aims to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke.

World Health Day is commemorated in Sierra Leone with the theme of Combat Drug Resistance: “No action today, No cure tomorrow” on 7 April 2011. The Ministry of Health and Sanitation organized a high level symposium to deliberate on the threat of drug resistance in the country.

Sierra Leone commemorated World Blood Donor Day (WBDD)2011 on the theme “More blood. More life”. The theme highlights the need to collect more blood and to ensure the availability and accessibility of blood to a larger number of patients to save their lives. Commemoration of the Day still continues in the country with a chain of community outreach activities to recruit more voluntary blood donors and to collect more safe blood for the National Safe Blood Services. These activities are being undertaken by both the voluntary donors themselves and Ministry of Health official and partners.

Sierra Leone launched its third Round of National Immunization Days (NIDs) 2011 campaign on 24 June. The campaign will be conducted effective its launch date to 27 June to administer Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to over one million children below the age of 5 years. The campaign is being synchronised with other countries in the West African Sub-region to protect targeted children from infection with polio virus which is still circulating in the region.

Directorate of Disease Prevention and Control in Ministry of Health and Sanitation with assistance from the WHO and CDC conducted a two day workshop to develop a national surveil-lance, preparedness and response strategic plan for Sierra Leone. This is the first consensus building workshops and was attended by Directors, hospital and programme Managers, laboratory technicians, medical officers and health sector partners.

The Sierra Leonean Minister of Health and Sanitation, Mrs Zainab Bangura, and of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment, Rtd. Captain Allieu Pat Sowe, have signed the Luanda Commitment on the implementation of the Libreville Declaration on Health and Environment in Africa.

The two ministers signed the document to reaffirm the country’s interest and commitment to address health and environment linkages as they affect environmental risk factors to health.

World Malaria Day was commemorated in Sierra Leone on the global theme “Achieving Progress and Impact”. A national Slogan “Kick malaria. always sleep under insecticide treated net” was selected to raise awareness on malaria prevention and control. The purpose of celebrating malaria day is to recognize the global effort to provide effective control of malaria. Various speakers from the MOHS and partners delivered statements committing their respective organizations to join hands in the fight against malaria.