Help improve children's healthcare services in Kailahun, Sierra Leone

Project background

Sierra Leone emerged from a decade of civil war in 2002 and is still in a period of reconstruction. It faces difficult challenges to tackle poverty and especially in the areas of health and education.

Sierra Leone has the highest rate of under-five mortality in the world - 232 per 1,000 births. The number of women who die in childbirth is also the highest, at 2,000 in every 100,000.

Many health workers are poorly qualified and are therefore struggling to address major challenges like the high rate of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Immunisation for children under one year has increased but it is still very low in certain regions. Furthermore a third of all children suffer from stunted growth due to poor nutrition. There is also a high prevalence of diseases like malaria, acute respiratory infections, and diarrhoea.

The project is located in Kailahun district which was is one of the worst affected by the civil war as it in the east of the country on the Liberian border where the conflict started. The district is a long way from Freetown, where many NGOs operate, and therefore many of the communities are isolated.

There is a severe lack of adequate public health care, with more than 6,300 people using each health unit which are often ill equipped. Health care services are also severely under staffed. Health care staff lack sufficient skills in early childhood care and development and there is a low level of awareness of child health and development issues among communities in the area.

Project aims

This project aims to increase access to improved early childhood care and development services and maternal health care facilities in the Kailahun district

Community-based initiatives will include establishing school health clubs and community health committees. These committees will complete training on raising awareness on health. A wider information and education campaign will spread important health messages through radio programmes and public events.

The project will also strengthen systems of monitoring and assessing healthcare services in Kailahun to improve accountability.

In the long term children and mothers will be healthier which will mean that fewer mothers die in childbirth, and fewer children die under the age of five.

Phone 0800 526 848 for more information or to make a donation to this project.