Collaborating for Health: Sierra Leone Leverages Partnerships to Boost Pandemic Preparedness
State House, Freetown, Sierra Leone – March 7, 2025 – President Julius Maada Bio received a delegation led by the Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, comprising representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Chief Medical Officer, and the Executive Director of the National Public Health Agency to announce and discuss implementation of activities of the $20 million from the Pandemic Fund.
Sierra Leone bolsters mpox response with 61,300 vaccine doses
Freetown, Sierra Leone – February 25, 2025 – Sierra Leone reinforces its combat against mpox with the arrival of 61,300 vaccine doses on February 25, 2025. This vital shipment, secured through the collaborative efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, GAVI, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and other partners, following a total of 29 confirmed mpox cases nationwide since the onset of this outbreak.
Strengthening healthcare across life stages: WHO supported MoH to empower Moyamba district with quality improvement training.
Moyamba District, Sierra Leone – February 2025 – In a notable effort to revolutionize healthcare delivery, the Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), conducted a comprehensive Quality Improvement (QI) training workshop in Moyamba District from February 17th to 21st, 2025.
Scaling up mpox outbreak response in Sierra Leone
Freetown ‒ Sierra Leone is deploying a range of measures to control and end an outbreak of mpox in which 20 cases have so far been reported since the disease was confirmed on 13 January 2025.
Sierra Leone hosts regional study tour to showcase success in PEN-Plus implementation for NCD care
Freetown, Sierra Leone: From 3–7 February 2025, the Government of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), hosted a regional study tour for representatives from six Francophone countries—Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Niger—to observe firsthand the country’s successful implementation of the WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable (PEN) Disease Interventions for Primary Health Care (PEN-Plus) strategy in Kono District.
Reaching Underserved Communities: Cervical Cancer Awareness in Sierra Leone
In an ongoing effort to eliminate cervical cancer, the Ministry of Health (MoH), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Sierra Leone, organized a crucial screening initiative during Cervical Cancer Awareness Month - January. This initiative focused on underserved communities, encouraging women aged 25-49 to take advantage of essential screening services.
National Codex Alimentarius Committee capacity strengthened in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone’s National Codex Committee (NCC) enhanced its capacity to engage in national, regional, and international Codex activities, contributing to stronger food safety governance and public health protection. This achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the NCC, with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and funding from the Codex Trust Fund Secretariat.
A Life-Saving Milestone: Sierra Leone's Fight Against Cervical Cancer
For 43-year-old Ramatulai Kamara, a mother of four, the journey with cervical cancer began four years ago when she started experiencing severe bleeding. She sought help at multiple health facilities, seeing different doctors, but the eventual diagnosis brought devastating news: cervical cancer. “When I was finally told what was wrong with me, I cried. I was stressed, and many people said that cancer is deadly. I was also told that my only option was to go to Ghana for treatment, but I had no money for that.
Improving quality of care to save lives in Sierra Leone
Freetown ‒ Sierra Leone has long had one of the world’s highest burdens of maternal mortality. But local health authorities have made commendable efforts to combat this devastating trend, as well high rates of infant mortality, with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners.
Sierra Leone launches Ebola vaccination drive for frontline health workers