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12/03/2021

UNFPA Sierra Leone staff members rose to the Jerusalema Dance Challenge after a very difficult 2020. 

 

UNFPA Sierra Leone staff members go into 2021 renewed, refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to achieve our three transformative results - ending maternal deaths, ending unmet need for family, and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls.

 

Join in with our happy staff members at UNFPA Sierra Leone!

 

 

15/12/2020

In October 2020, with additional safety measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education re-opened schools for the new academic year.

 

UNFPA and partners, fully aware that any gap in formal education can increase a girl’s risk of not returning to school, partnered with Women In Crisis Movement to identify 1,000 vulnerable adolescent girls and supply them with new school uniforms, school bags and additional stationary materials, with funds from Irish Aid.

20/12/2020

Every year in Sierra Leone, thousands of pregnant women lose their lives while giving birth.  An overwhelming number of these maternal deaths in Sierra Leone are due to preventable factors. At the heart of our work, UNFPA aims to end preventable maternal deaths by supporting the Government in strengthening its skilled workforce, improving health facilities, monitoring data on maternal deaths, and addressing maternal morbidity.

 

Reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health is a priority for the Government of Sierra Leone. Over the years, with generous funding from UK aid, UNFPA has been supporting the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) in strengthening Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) to save the lives of mothers and newborns.

 

In 2019, with funding from the Saving Lives in Sierra Leone Programme of the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), UNFPA supported the recruitment, tuition, subsistence, procurement of teaching learning materials and supportive supervision of 120 new midwifery students for a two-year training programme at two midwifery schools located in Bo and Makeni districts. At the end of the year, a total of 98 midwives graduated from these schools and were all deployed to health facilities in the 16 districts to provide much needed quality maternal and newborn services. 

20/12/2020

Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious and tragic childbirth injuries. A hole between the birth canal and bladder and/or rectum, it is caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without access to timely, high-quality medical treatment. It leaves women leaking urine, faeces or both, and often leads to chronic medical problems, depression, social isolation and deepening poverty.

While accurate data on the prevalence of obstetric fistula in Sierra Leone has been challenging, anecdotal evidence and initial modelling projections, estimate that about 2,496 women are living with obstetric fistula in the country. Over the last few years, the UNFPA country office has worked in partnership with two non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Aberdeen Women’s Centre and Haikal, to seek out, treat, train, reintegrate and advocate for young girls and women suffering from obstetric fistula.

UNFPA is the main agency funding fistula interventions in the country. In partnership with Aberdeen Women’s Centre, Haikal and the MoHS, UNFPA restores dignity and hope through a multi-faceted set of services for fistula clients and survivors to ensure holistic restoration.

 

20/12/2020

Sierra Leone ranks among the world’s highest maternal mortality ratio with maternal deaths accounting for 36 percent of all deaths of women aged 15-49 years.

 

One major challenge facing the health sector in the country is the inadequate number of qualified and skilled health personnel, particularly skilled birth attendants who are critical to the prevention of maternal deaths.

 

With financial support from UK Aid, learn how UNFPA, has been working to towards reducing maternal and newborn deaths in Sierra Leone.

12/02/2020

UNFPA Sierra Leone marked International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation - UN Women Sierra Leone Representative Dr. Mary Okumu delivered her poignant remarks.

12/02/2020

UNFPA Sierra Leone in partnership with Girlz Empowered held a lively discussion on female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone with key stakeholders.

The country representative Dr. Kim Eva Dickson delivered her remarks.

12/02/2020

UNFPA Sierra Leone marked International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation in partnership with Girlz Empowered.

In attendance and performing for the audience was Vicky the Poet who delivered an impactful poem on FGM.

01/10/2019

Ever wondered what is in a UNFPA Sierra Leone dignity kit, provided to vulnerable and marginalized women and girls at times when they need it the most?

 

"When we speak about dignity, we are actually talking about a fundamental human right," said Dr. Natalia Kanem. 

 

Watch our Executive Director, Dr. Natalia Kanem reveal all the contents of the UNFPA Sierra Leone and UK Aid supported dignity kit on 26 September at the SDG Action Zone, held during the High-level week of the UN General Assembly. 

 

 

 

19/08/2019

Under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Government of Japan supported Strengthening Emergency Obstetric Care in Sierra Leone project, UNFPA rehabilitated and refurbished eight community health centres across the country. The project focuses on ensuring that women and adolescent girls are provided with access to quality family planning information and services, including ante-natal and post-natal care services, skilled birth attendants during childbirth, including emergency obstetric and neonatal care.

 

For more information, please contact:

Ms Angelique Reid, Communication Specialist

UNFPA Sierra Leone

M: +232 78 340044

E: areid@unfpa.org

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