Sierra Leone News

An isolated case of monkeypox has been confirmed in Pujehun district, Sierra Leone. This is the third known occurrence of monkeypox in the country, with the first reported case in 1970 and the second in 2014. 

The patient, a 35-year-old male, was admitted to Pujehun District Hospital on 25th March 2017 where he is currently undergoing supportive treatment. Biological samples were shipped to Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo for laboratory testing and were confirmed positive for the monkeypox virus on 17th April 2017. 

Today the Government of Sierra Leone and its partners launched a new five-year Strategy for Human Resources for Health (2017-2021). By guiding investments in the health workforce, the Strategy will support the country to improve the quality of health services and ensure it is better placed to respond to current and emerging health needs. 

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation is in the process of migrating disease surveillance reporting from a cumbersome paper-based system to a web-based electronic platform (e-IDSR) for real-time information flows. The process is part of the revitalisation of disease surveillance and response in Sierra Leone supported by WHO in partnership with the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and e-Health Africa.

May 31 2017 --- On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organization is highlighting how tobacco threatens the development of nations worldwide, and is calling on governments to implement strong tobacco control measures. Globally tobacco kills more than 7 million people each year, which is one death every five seconds. 

FREETOWN (31 May 2017)—Sierra Leone’s latest Maternal Death and Surveillance Report, released today at a launch in the capital, Freetown, calls for united actions from government, health workers, communities and partners to tackle the high number of maternal deaths in the country. In all, a total of 706 maternal deaths were reported during 2016, though the report suggests that the true figure may be much higher still. 

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) conducted a stakeholders’ consultative meeting from 8-9 May 2012. The purpose of the meeting was to seek stakeholders input, build consensus and develop a road map in finalizing the draft National Human Resources for Health (HRH) Policy and Strategic Plan for Sierra Leone.
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kisito Daoh, in his opening statement said that the meeting should serve as an opportunity for stakeholders to make inputs into the documents which will inform & advise the Ministry in addressing HRH challenges.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) and WHO held their joint monthly technical consultation meeting on Tuesday 8 May 2012. The meeting was co-chaired by the WHO Representative, Dr Alemu and the Chief Medical Officer of MoHS, Dr Kisito Daoh, and was attended by directors and programme managers of the MoHS and technical officers of the WHO Country Office.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) with technical and financial support of WHO conducted a three day health sector Human Resource Working Group consultative workshop from 3-5 May 2012. The Working Group deliberated on the draft Human Resources for Health (HRH) Policy, Strategic Plan and Profile for Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone commemorated World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2012 under the theme “Tobacco Industry Interference” on 31 May. The Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) in collaboration with WHO and with support from other partners coordinated the commemoration.
The purpose was to raise awareness on the global tobacco epidemic and to mobilize the public to support smoke free environment.

The Sierra Leone Road Transport Authority (SLRTA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, WHO and other stakeholders in the Road Transport Industry held a three day workshop in Bo from 22-24th May 2012. The objective of the Workshop was to develop a Road Safety Policy for the country and eventually a National Road Safety Strategic Plan as part of efforts to address the rising road crashes in the country.