Freetown, Sierra Leone, 18 July 2025: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sierra Leone convened a media dissemination event to present its 8th Country Programme Document (CPD) 2025–2030 and share key highlights from its 2024 Annual Report. The event brought together senior editors, journalists, media practitioners, and partners to strengthen public understanding of UNFPA’s priorities, results, and future direction in Sierra Leone.
The dissemination aimed to brief media stakeholders on the newly approved Country Programme and to deepen understanding of UNFPA’s work in sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, and adolescent and youth development. Journalists were encouraged to use evidence-based reporting to highlight both progress achieved and persistent gaps across these areas.
In a keynote statement delivered via video message, the Honourable Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Kenyeh Barlay, underscored the Government’s recognition of UNFPA as a longstanding development partner.
“UNFPA’s new Country Programme, with its focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, adolescent and youth development, and population dynamics, is not only complementary but critical to achieving the targets of our Medium-Term National Development Plan. These achievements represent improved lives, stronger families, and a more resilient society.”
The Honourable Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Isata Mahoi, also speaking via video message, welcomed the alignment of the Programme with national gender priorities.
“We welcome UNFPA’s new Country Programme, particularly its focus on addressing gender-based violence and harmful practices and on the empowerment of women and girls. We are confident that our collaboration over the next six years will continue to advance the rights of women and girls, ensuring no one is left behind.”
UNFPA’s 8th Country Programme (2025–2030) focuses on three transformative goals: ending unmet need for family planning, ending preventable maternal deaths, and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices. The Programme builds on the achievements of the previous cycle (2020–2024) while strengthening national systems, data generation, and community-led approaches.
Presenting the Country Programme Document, UNFPA Officer-in-Charge Sibeso Mululuma emphasized the importance of partnership with the media.
“The 8th Country Programme is a roadmap for transformative, rights-based progress in Sierra Leone. The media has a critical role in amplifying voices, challenging harmful norms, and holding all of us accountable as we work to reach every woman, every adolescent, and every community.”
The event also featured presentations from UNFPA programme leads highlighting results from the 2024 Annual Report across maternal health, family planning, gender and human rights, and population and development. These sessions provided data-driven insights into achievements and opportunities for continued collaboration with the media.
The dissemination concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session, allowing journalists to engage on issues of implementation, accountability, and partnership.
As UNFPA moves forward with the implementation of its 2025–2030 Country Programme, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with government, development partners, civil society, and the media to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
Media contact: Islander Kabia | Communications Unit | UNFPA Sierra Leone | ikabia@unfpa.org
