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. This initiative is a crucial component of the Ministry’s implementation of the Framework for the Life Stages Approach to Health Service Delivery, a transformative strategy emphasizing holistic care throughout an individual’s life.

Recognizing the limitations of traditional, disease-focused healthcare models, the Life Stages Approach prioritizes integrated care across all life phases, from preconception to geriatric care. This holistic strategy aims to deliver comprehensive healthcare services, including health promotion, disease prevention, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care, with a strong emphasis on quality and equity. 

Moyamba District was strategically chosen as a potential demonstration site for this approach, following a 2024 health facility assessment by WHO that revealed critical gaps in service delivery. To bridge these gaps, 40 healthcare workers, including members of the District Health Management Team (DHMT), ANC, Triage, IPC, Maternity, Theatre, Paediatric, and Geriatrics, participated in the five-day workshop.

The training equipped participants with essential QI tools and methodologies, including root cause analysis, the Model for Improvement, and data management techniques. They also learned to establish robust Quality of Care (QoC) governance structures at various facility departments and conduct child death audits, crucial for identifying causes and preventing child mortality. Paediatric charts were distributed to improve documentation/record-keeping.

The training further enhanced healthcare workers' understanding of QI principles, supported the implementation of sustainable QI systems, strengthened the delivery of Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) services, and equipped participants with the skills to conduct effective child death audits.

Through practical, hands-on exercises, participants developed QI projects tailored to their departments, addressing challenges across all life stages. This practical application of knowledge is poised to have a direct and measurable impact on the quality of healthcare delivered in the district.

"This training is incredibly relevant as we implement Quality of Care using the Life Stages Approach," shared Umaru Lawundeh, QoC Officer in Moyamba. "It empowers me to identify service gaps and find effective solutions with the resources we have, directly improving the care we provide."

The successful completion of this training signifies a major milestone in operationalizing the Life Stages Approach in Sierra Leone. By empowering healthcare workers with vital QI skills, the Ministry of Health and WHO are laying the foundation for improved health outcomes, enhanced quality of life, and increased life expectancy. The Moyamba demonstration site will serve as a model for nationwide scale-up, ensuring that person-centered, life-stage-focused healthcare becomes a reality for all Sierra Leoneans.