This was disclosed by the Sierra Leone Ministry Of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) during the launching on Wednesday January 30, this year, at the Miatta Conference Hall in the capital Freetown.

This project will benefit five districts in the country, including Bo, Bonthe, Port Loko, Kenema and Tonkolili.

The project aims is to improve access to quality essential health care and to enhance the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. 

The African Development Bank Representative, Margaret Kilo, said the project will cost a total of 86.3 billion Leones (local currency), of which 77.6 billion Leones will be provided by a grant of the African Development Fund and 8.6 billion Leones by the government of Sierra Leone.

She explained that the project will be executed by the MOHS with the support of UNFPA and it will provide rehabilitation works, equipments, essential pharmaceuticals and related technical assistant to improve the quality of district maternity wards, primary health care facilities in the five districts.

In his keynote address, acting Minister of Health and Sanitation Alex Kabia will improve the quality of basic health services in the five districts and will as a result reduce child mortality rate and other diseases including malaria, HIV/AIDS and other related diseases. He disclosed that the project was as a memorandum signed between UNFPA and the Ministry, which he said the out come will enhance a great deal of Human Resource Development in the country.

Subhash K. Gupta, Director Division of Management Services, UNFPA, said this is an initiative that focuses on strengthening and revitalizing district health system, improving the maternal and child health programme and building the capacities for planning, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation at national and district level.

Keywords:  sierra_leone health society