After the Ebola outbreak 1.3 million under five children in Sierra Leone to be reached with lifesaving health services

FREETOWN, 26^th November 2015 – An estimated 1.3 million under five children in Sierra Leone will benefit from essential lifesaving health services to curtail preventable deaths and illness– the first major immunization and health campaign after the Ebola outbreak was declared over in the country.

The national Maternal and Child Health Week (MCH) campaign (Mami en Pikin Welbodi Week) aims to provide 95 per cent of children between 6-59 months with vitamin A and deworming services, and also offer vaccination of children 15-23 months against measles for the second time and children who may have missed out on routine vaccinations. In addition, the campaign will also offer essential ante natal care to up 95 per cent of all pregnant women who may have missed out on this important follow up service.

“This campaign is significant in the sense that it is a demonstration of the government’s avowed aim to revamping the health sector as part of the post-Ebola recovery plan,” said Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah, Minister of Health and Sanitation. “We will continue to collaborate with development partners so that the last child and mother living in the most remote village in the country is reached”.

Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of child and maternal deaths in the world with a maternal mortality ratio of 1,165 per 100,000 live births and under 5 mortality at 156 per 1,000 live births.

The Ebola outbreak which infected more than 8,000 people and led to more than 3,500 deaths countrywide, weakened basic and essential health services, undermining trust, and creating restrictions on regular health campaigns.

“With the Ebola outbreak declared over, it is now time to end preventable child and maternal deaths. We need to harness the energy, all the systems in place and the people who were engaged in the fight against Ebola to now focus on drastically reducing the numbers of children and women dying of preventable causes,” said Dr Anders Nordström, WHO Representative in Sierra Leone

Around 3,600 teams will deploy across the country, with more than 10,700 vaccinators and distributors going door-to-door.

“As we commence the recovery phase following the Ebola outbreak, it is important that we resuscitate health service delivery systems and strengthen them to be more resilient to ensure effective disease prevention and control in the country,” said Geoff Wiffin, UNICEF Representative in Sierra Leone. “And beyond this week, we call on families and communities to continue seeking health care at the PHUs and hospitals across Sierra Leone as it is imperative that communities build on the trust with the health system that has helped Sierra Leone succeed in getting rid of Ebola.”

The MCH Week is being organized by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in collaboration with UNICEF, WHO, Helen Keller International, the SABIN Institute of Immunization and other NGOs, and generously supported by funding from GAVI, Canada (CIDA) and European Union, Norway, DFID, USAID and Irish Aid. UNICEF provides vaccines, syringes and other equipment, and financial support for logistics, operational and social mobilization and sensitization activities.

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