Sierra Leone News

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

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation launched a partnership for safe medicines initiative on 17 January 2012. The initiative is aimed at ensuring quality, effica-cy and safety of all medicines and promotion of rational use of medicines among healthcare providers and patients.

Directorate of Drug and Medical Supplies in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation held a technical stakeholders consensus meeting from 11-12 January 2012 to further deliberate on the draft National Medicines Policy, National Essential Medicines Lists, Standard Treatment Guidelines, and National Formulary. Updating of the Na-tional Medicines Policy and its component documents and their sub-sequent implementation seek to strengthen pharmaceutical care de-livery in the country.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) in partnership with its stakeholders organized a two-day retreat from December 15 to 16, 2011. The retreat brought together key stakeholders under MoHS leadership to review and agree on key policy areas of focus in the medium-term as provided for by the country compact.

Government of Sierra Leone and Health partners on 19 December 2011 signed the Country Compact which was witnessed by His Excellency the President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma. In His statement, the President thanked the health sector for their commitment to work in a more coordinated manner to meet the Millennium Development Goals.