unicef sierra leone newsletter sep 2013

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Update Sierra Leone

September 2013

Globally, UNICEF and other UN agencies together with

partners from the public, private and civil society sectorsreach out to intensify their action to fulfil their promise to

the world's children and mothers: A Promise Renewed

represents a global movement to revitalize action and

double efforts in the fight for child and maternal survival

so that more countries will achieve the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 by 2015.

The new UNICEF report shows that if current trends

continue, the world will not meet Millennium Development

Goal 4 to cut the rate of under-five mortality by two-

thirds by 2015. Worse, if current trends continue, the goal

will not be reached until 2028. In Sierra Leone,

development partners recognize that the country has

taken a very important step to reach the MDGs with the

launch of the Free Health Care Initiative in 2010. The

initiative provides health services free of charge for

children under five years as well as for pregnant and

nursing women.

In February 2013, the Government of Sierra Leone

renewed its promise to accelerate child survival and the

EU and UNICEF signed an agreement to increase support

to the Free Health Care Initiative with Euro 20 Million.

Other donors such as the UK Government and Irish Aid

also contribute to the initiative. Working hand in hand with

the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and partners,

UNICEF Country Representative Roeland Monasch

welcomed the government's renewed promise to make

child and maternal health a priority, also in its new Poverty

Reduction Plan, the Agenda for Prosperity.

In many cases, simple solutions can save lives. The

Maternal and Child Health Week (MCHW) is an example

for how UNICEF Sierra Leone works around the clock to

On 11 September UNICEF released the 2013 Report on Committing to Child Survival: A Promise

Renewed. It examines trends in child mortality since 1990, analyses the main causes of under-five

deaths, and highlights national and global efforts to save children's lives.

A PROMISE RENEWED: ACCELERATING RESULTSFOR CHILD AND MATERNAL SURVIVAL IN SIERRA LEONE

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boost the provision of life-saving services and information

for mothers and children. During the bi-annual campaigns

organized by the Ministry of Health with support from

UNICEF and other partners, health workers vaccinate

children on a large scale, deliver mosquito nets, provide

Vitamin A and de-worming tablets. The intervention is

also being used for HIV/ AIDS testing during pregnancy.

A Promise Renewed is about accelerating results, it is

about scaling up efforts. It is a promise which needs to be

fulfilled as its major implication means: "To be or not to

be" for millions of children and mothers in Sierra Leone.

Therefore, we cannot forget our obligation: UNICEF Sierra

Leone pledges to support the goal of A Promise Renewed

and calls upon partners to fulfill the promise the world

made to children in MDG 4 and 5: Give every child the best

possible start in life!, says UNICEF Representative in

Sierra Leone, Roeland Monasch.

For more details: http://www.apromiserenewed.org

Harmful social and cultural practices are among the many

factors that continue to hamper Sierra Leone's

development and prevent it from reaching the Millennium

Development Goals. For the government's Agenda for

Prosperity, the new Poverty Reduction Strategy, to reach

its full potential and lead the country out of poverty and

bad health, these practices must be addressed.

To mark the day, children from all districts in Sierra Leone

met and discussed harmful practices affecting their lives

such as the low rate of exclusive breastfeeding, teenage

pregnancy, prejudice against children with disabilities,

HIV/AIDS and more. Two children from each district then

travelled to Freetown to declare what they expect from the

government , reminding adults that only joint

responsibility by communities, the private sector and civil

society will ensure that children do not become victims of

harmful social and cultural practices.

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of 37% of children's

death in Sierra Leone. Exclusive breastfeeding during the

first six months of an infant's life is the safest and cheapest

way of preventing malnutrition and other illnesses. Yet in

Sierra Leone only 31% of women exclusively breastfeed

their children for six months. Addressing the myths and

cultural practices preventing proper feeding practices

entails comprehensive behaviour change activities and

engagement of communities in improving child care and

feeding.

Teenage pregnancy is the reason for about 40% of

maternal deaths and the leading cause of death foradolescent girls. Among the multiple causes behind this

problem are lack of knowledge on reproductive health

and inhibiting attitudes towards contraceptives.

Acknowledging that this phenomenon poses a serious

THE DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD-

A CALL TO END HARMFUL PRACTICES

TO REACH PROSPERITY

barrier to development, the Government of Sierra Leone

launched a strategy to prevent teenage pregnancy, in May

2013.

Another harmful practice affecting the girls in Sierra

Leone is Female Genital Cutting (FGC). FGC in Sierra

Leone is associated with becoming a full member of

society and eligibility for marriage. Questioning the

practice means questioning the social and spiritual

system, making the very sensitive issue difficult to

address. UNICEF is supporting a coalition of local

organisations which work in communities and trigger

dialogues on the issue, with different groups ofstakeholders and across generations. This will inform

strategies working towards abandonment of the practice.

By Charlris Okafor, Communication Officer, UNICEF Sierra Leone

On 16th June, Sierra Leone joined other countries in

Africa to celebrate the Day of the African Child, to draw

attention on the condition of children on the continentand to unite the efforts of all actors to combat the ills

that plague the daily lives of children. This year's theme

was Eliminating harmful social and cultural practices

affecting children: our collective responsibility.

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By Rosmarie E. K. Jah, Reports Officer, UNICEF Sierra Leone


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By Rosmarie E. K. Jah, Reports Officer, UNICEF Sierra Leone

Last year, Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma had

to declare a national state of emergency because of the

worst cholera outbreak in over 15 years with over 20,000

people infected and 300 killed. This year the credo for

Sierra Leone is: Cholera Preparedness! In June the

Ministry of Health and Sanitation called on Sierra Leone's

population to take precautionary measures to prevent

another cholera outbreak.

Cholera can be prevented and cured. UNICEF Sierra Leone

works together with the Government and the National

Cholera Task Force to raise awareness and to provoke

behavioral change. Cholera prevention demands

practicing proper hygiene behavior such as using only

safe water and clean toilets, washing hands before eating

and after using the toilet. Many people are not aware of

these simple measures, and many have no chance to put

them into practice. Only 32% (rural) and 58% (urban) of

people in Sierra Leone have access to sanitation facilities

and 57% have access to safe water supply.

UNICEF Sierra Leone is supporting the Ministry of Health

and Sanitation in distributing hygiene messages, in the

implementation of Community Led Total Sanitation

(CLTS), and in rehabilitating water wells.

CLTS is a community empowerment approach that

encourages changes in behavior through triggering and

mobilizing communities for the construction, proper use

and maintenance of latrines and sanitation facilities. With

the financial support from the governments of the UK and

the Netherlands, to date over 3,900 communities have

been declared open defecation-free in Sierra Leone after

they became part of the CLTS program.

Funded by the Japanese government and the African

Development Bank UNICEF is in the process of

rehabilitating 80 wells in diarrhea hot spots across the

country, and of installing solar-powered water systems for

larger communities that have been previously affected by

high levels of diarrheal diseases. Together with six

implementing partners, UNICEF is operating in eight

cholera high risk districts in Sierra Leone, targeting a

population of 1,011,686 people out of an estimatednational population of 6 million. The project is being

implemented in 31 chiefdoms and/or city sections.

SIERRA LEONES PREPARATIONSTO PREVENT ANOTHER CHOLERA OUTBREAK DURING THE RAINING SEASON

In Sierra Leone two seasons determine the annual cycle: the rainy season from May to October, and the dry season

from November to May. During the rainy season the risk of a cholera outbreak is increased. Especially in densely

populated areas with poor hygiene and sanitation conditions, cholera can spread very fast. According to the Ministry

of Health and Sanitation, Cholera ranks among the five most important epidemic-prone diseases in Sierra Leone.

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For many children in Sierra Leone, education is just a

dream. The major barrier to education is poverty. Many

people cannot afford the indirect costs of uniforms and

school materials. Children, particularly girls, often have to

work on the farm or look after younger siblings instead of

going to school. Additional factors which contribute to the

high number of out of school children include a low level of

female literacy; and cultural practices, such as child

marriage.

To ensure increased enrolment rates for girls and reducedincidence of their withdrawal from school UNICEF initiated

Mothers Clubs. Each club comprises 20 women. The

members of the club embark on school visits to monitor

attendance and ensure that parents in the community

send their children to school every day. UNICEF provides

training for the women in counseling, mediation and

raising awareness for them as duty bearers on rights of

their children.

UNICEF provides the Mothers Clubs with seed money of

500,000 Leones (about USD$116) to start small businesses.

The profits from these ventures are used to

identify and support the education of vulnerable children

within the community. Some groups enrich their children's

nutrition through vegetable gardens. Others learn to read

and write. Most engage in income-generating activities.

MOTHERS CLUBS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

By Charlris Okafor, Communication Officer, UNICEF Sierra Leone

Gender gaps have nearly disappeared in primary education in Sierra Leone. UNICEF initiated the Mothers Clubs topromote family and community participation in the education of their children. This creates special opportunities for

women in particular in the promotion of access, retention and performance of their daughters, in school.

Hawa Kamara, 12 years old, attends the Islamic Primary

School in Gbense Chiefdom, in Sierra Leone's eastern

Kono District. Her father is both blind and ill. After her

mother died two years ago, Hawa dropped out of school to

sell small cakes in town to support her family, including

her three year old sister and elderly grandmother. The

family could not afford to send Hawa to school.

When the local Mothers Club found out about Hawa's

situation, they provided a school fund. By contributing

2000 Leones (about USD$ 0.5) a month each, they havebeen able to pay for the extra costs for her schooling.

The Gbense Mothers Club actively monitored her case and

provided encouragement. They also convinced her family

that education is the only way for a brighter future. Hawa

is now happily completing her class five education,

unburdened with being the sole provider for her family.

Special efforts are needed to reach Universal Primary

Education in Sierra Leone by 2015. Some positive indicators

include the development of an Education Sector Plan for

2015 to 2018 and the commitment by the Government ofSierra Leone, to allocate 20 per cent of the national

budget to education annually.

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The implementation of the previous Education Sector Plan

has resulted in tangible improvements. The latest

national survey data indicate that literacy rates among

15-19 year olds have increased from 55 to 71% between

2008 and 2013. The percentage of teenagers that have

accessed at least some secondary education had

increased by 50% during the same period from 40 to

62%.

However, still too many children are not accessing quality

basic education. They are either out of school or not

learning much in the classroom. A new Education Sector

Plan (2014-2018) has been developed to address the

existing challenges. UNICEF is supporting the dialogue

between donors, education sector partners and the

Ministry of Education and the new Education Sector Plan.

The new Education Sector Plan describes how the Ministry

of Education will advance the progress already made in

the areas of access, equity, completion, quality andsystem strengthening. This is to achieve its desired goals

for the sector over a period of five years from 2014 to the

end of 2018. Goals, strategies, interventions and costs of

the Education Sector Plan are aligned with the Poverty

Reduction Strategy Paper, the Agenda for prosperity,

which has been launched on Friday, 12 July.

The endorsement of the plan was a requirement for the

application for a 17.9 million grant from the Global

Partnership for Education earmarked for the basic

education programme in Sierra Leone. The grant

complements contributions to the implementation of the

plan by the Government of Sierra Leone and donors andpartners in education. UNICEF is the lead coordinating

NEW EDUCATION SECTOR

PLAN ENDORSED

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agency of the education development partners.

Education is a human right. In 2013, every child in Sierra

Leone should be able to go to school. Government and

partners will need to double their efforts and work closely

together to make sure parents can claim the right of their

children to go to school and learn, says UNICEF

Representative Roeland Monasch.

On 3 September the Ministry of Education and

Education Development Partners group endorsed the

new Education Sector Plan 2014-2018. UNICEF is

co-chair of the Education Development Partners Group

and Coordinating Agency of the Global partnership of

Education.

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By Miriam Mareso, Education Specialist, UNICEF Sierra Leone

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The Mamie en Pikin Welbodi Week is a week-long

integrated biannual health intervention that seeks to

reduce illness and deaths among pregnant women,

nursing mothers and children who are under the age of

five. It usually takes place every May and November. This

May, about 1.2 million under-five children were targeted

with polio vaccination, vitamin A and de-worming tablets.

Other health interventions included growth monitoring of

children; immunization; demonstration of good nutritional

practices including exclusive breastfeeding; HIV counseling

and testing, family planning services, health education on

the importance of using mosquito nets to prevent malaria;

information on cholera prevention and demonstration ofhand washing with soap.

Baindu, a mother of four in Kailahun who strapped her

three year old baby on her back attended the health fair

1.2 MILLION UNDER-FIVE CHILDREN BENEFIT

FROM THE MAMIE EN PIKIN WELBODI WEEK

and felt very pleased and self-fulfilled. She said: I have

learnt so much today and my baby has received the polio

vaccination for the fourth time! I am particularly

impressed with the information I received on exclusive

breastfeeding, malaria and diarrhoea /cholera prevention.

The Maternal and Child Health Week provides an

important opportunity to reach those children and women

who have been missed out by routine health

interventions.

In this regard, the next round of the Mamie en Pikin

Welbodi week is planned for 1st week of December and a

polio immunization campaign will run from 25th to 28thOctober, this year.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation, in collaboration with UNICEF, WHO, Rotary International, Helen Keller

International, the Sierra Leone Red Cross and other partners, on May 23rd 2013 launched the 8th round of the

Integrated Maternal and Child Health Week that is locally referred to as the Mamie en Pikin Welbodi Week (maternal and

child health week) with a health fair in Kailahun town, eastern Sierra Leone.

By Issa Davies, Communication Officer, UNICEF Sierra Leone

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the district hospitals in Koinadugu, Kenema, Kono and

Pujehun have been rehabilitated and fully equipped. The

maternity ward in Kailahun district hospital is under

construction. Funding for the construction of the maternity

ward in Kambia district hospital is expected soon.

Four health centers have been renovated and upgraded

to provide Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn

Care (BEmONC) services. Furthermore UNICEF provided

technical and financial support for the equipment of 65

BEmONC health centers and 12 district hospitals. Three

new paediatric wards are currently being constructed in

the district hospitals of Kono, Moyamba and Tonkolili. The

inauguration of the new structures is expected in the

fourth quarter of this year.

UNICEF has recently supported the Ministry of Health in

an infrastructure survey, mapping all BEmONC facilities,

District Hospitals, District Medical Stores and Maternal

and Child Health Aide District Medical Schools. The

results of the survey will be used for planning andprioritization for the continued rehabilitation/construction

work in the coming years.

CONSTRUCTING AND REHABILITATING MATERNITY WARDS IN SIERRA LEONE

Since the end of the war in 2002, Sierra Leone has been struggling with a severe lack of properly equipped health

facilities, both in regards to technical equipment and in human resources. To tackle that problem, UNICEF has been

supporting the government of Sierra Leone in constructing and rehabilitating paediatric and maternity wards at

district hospitals as well as peripheral health units.

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By Angela Griep, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Sierra Leone

In 2008, a nationwide needs assessment on the provision

of health services concluded that the provision of quality

health services in Sierra Leone was highly insufficient. Not

a single health center was able to provide Basic

Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (BEmONC).

But not only the small health centers lacked adequate

equipment and human resources; six out of 13 district

hospitals had no capacity to provide comprehensive

EmONC. Many were in bad condition without running

water and with limited electricity supply.

The rehabilitation of the health infrastructure to ensure

quality health care has therefore been a priority for the

Government of Sierra Leone. With the start of the Free

Health Care Initiative in April 2010, the government with

support of its partners started the process of

rehabilitating 65 health centers, five in each district, to be

able to provide Basic Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal

Care (BEmONC), and maternity and paediatric wards in

district hospitals. Another focus is the renovation of

district medical stores and district hospital pharmacy

stores.

With technical and financial support provided by UNICEF

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In Sierra Leone, teenage pregnancy is one of the

pervasive problems affecting the health, social and

economic progress and empowerment of women and

girls. The statistics are alarming as 34 per cent of all

pregnancies occur amongst teenage girls (SLDS 2008);

26 per cent of women between the ages of 15 and 19 have

already given birth and 40 per cent of maternal deaths

occur as a result of teenage pregnancy (MICS 2010).

Teenage pregnancy is the third most common factor for

girls dropping out of school.

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LET GIRLS BE GIRLS, NOT MOTHERS!

SIERRA LEONE FIGHTS AGAINST TEENAGE PREGNANY

In order to tackle the problem, UNICEF and UNFPA

supported the government to set up a multi-sectorial

committee that comprises key line ministries, the UN,

NGOs and civil society representations to come out with a

strategy that addresses social protection, health, gender

and poverty issues.

I dropped out of school in the third grade of my

secondary education when I was impregnated by a man

who was basically taking care of my needs since my

parents cannot afford to do so, said 15 year old Isatu inFreetown. I regretted being pregnant at that early age

and wish to go back to school and continue my education.

This cannot be the future that we want for our

daughters, said President Koroma as he launched the

strategy. Our girls should read their books and not

change napkins.

The three-year strategy entails improving policy and

legal environment to protect adolescents and young

people's rights; improving access to quality sexual

reproductive health, protection and education services;

providing comprehensive age appropriate informationand education and empowering communities to prevent

and respond to teenage pregnancy. Setting up

coordination, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for

the proper management is also a key component of the

strategy.

UNICEF is rendering technical and financial support these

mechanisms for the successful roll out of the strategy.

By Issa Davies, Communication Officer, UNICEF Sierra Leone

With support from UNICEF and UNFPA, the President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, launched a National Strategy

for the Reduction of Teenage Pregnancy in Sierra Leone on May 13th 2013 in Freetown. The theme of the launch was:

Let girls be girls, not mothers!

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Angela Griep

Head External Relations, Advocacy and

Leveraging Resources, UNICEF Sierra Leone

Telephone: +232 22 235 730/735

Mobile: +232 76 912 059

Facsimile: +232 22 235 059

[email protected]:URL: http//www.unicef.org

www.facebook.com/unicefsierraleone

Follow us on twitter:@UNICEFSierraLeo

For more information contact:pleaseIn 2013 UNICEF Sierra Leone received contributions from:

The Governments of Canada, Ireland, Japan,Netherlands, Norway,

United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and USA

The European Union, United Nations; African Development Bank,

GAVI Alliance, Global Fund against AIDS/TB/Malaria, Bill &

Melinda Gates Foundation, Micronutrient Initiative, and United

Nations Foundation.

UNICEF National Committee of: Australia, Austria, Belgium,

Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands,

Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and USA.

unicef sierra leone newsletter sep 2013

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