Sierra Leone

Since the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in Sierra Leone in May 2014, the virus has claimed thousands of victims. Throughout the outbreak, Options provided vital support to the health system as part of the response.

Young people took the lead in sharing safe clinic messages with market women in Matru Jong, Bonthe District, to help build trust in the health system.

The UK government has awarded Options with a silver medal for its work in responding to the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. This news comes in the wake of the country being declared Ebola free by the World Health Organisation earlier this month.

Sierra Leone has recently confirmed that the Pujehun Government Hospital is ready and able to provide emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) services. This is the first facility that has been certified since the outbreak of Ebola in 2014.

Laboratories played a critical role in the diagnosis and treatment of Ebola in Sierra Leone, and contributed to the eventual control of the epidemic.

By Sallieu Sesay, Communications Consultant for MamaYe in Sierra Leone.

When MamaYe was launched back in 2010, the vision was for it to be owned by the people and that the campaign would become a new way of life, where African men and women would see that their actions can make a difference and save lives. This has truly been the case in Koinadugu.

"‘Be bold for change’ means that you are familiar with the issues and you are able to better talk about them targeting appropriate decision makers and other stakeholders using available evidence that will convince them to act for a change."

Over the past 4 years we've supported the Government of Sierra Leone to improve the reliability & quality of it's health management information system. Reliable data is now being used to inform evidence-based actions to deliver better services & improve the health of women, adolescents & children.

Despite the Ebola outbreak, more mothers, babies and young people now visit health services at private and public sector facilities.

Laboratory strengthening during the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone.