Patient at the Princess Christian Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone

    Core area “Health, social protection and population dynamics” Strengthening the healthcare system and preventing infections

    The healthcare system in Sierra Leone has serious shortcomings. Healthcare services are underfunded, and there is a lack of medical staff and technical equipment. In response to the Ebola crisis in 2014/15, the BMZ has been promoting projects aimed at strengthening the healthcare system and improving epidemic prevention as part of a One Health approach.

    See also
    Graphic representation of the One Health approach: One Health is at the centre and there are interdependencies between human health, animal health and a healthy natural environment.

    One Health

    Sierra Leone benefited from its experiences with Ebola when it came to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: the government acted swiftly, implementing extensive measures to prevent the virus from spreading.

    Under German development cooperation, support is being provided for the establishment of an early warning system, in order to identify critical outbreaks of diseases at an early stage and better protect the population against them. Moreover, KfW Development Bank is strengthening the reproductive health and rights of women. This is helping to improve the status of women in society, prevent gender-based violence – including female genital mutilation – and enable rights-based family planning.


    Impacts

    • In the two project districts the quality of the data collected on national health indicators has been substantially improved.
    • Information from remote regions regarding suspicious cases of illness with an epidemic risk factor is now being forwarded far faster – making an important contribution towards preventing epidemics.
    • In the communities receiving support from the project, three quarters of the population are using the family planning services that are on offer.

    As at: 26/03/2024