Highlights
IOM field staff completed the Participatory Mapping and Field Observation phase in Kambia’s 4 border chiefdoms, one of the three priority areas of the Health, Border, and Mobility Management (HBMM) project funded by US CDC. In Bombali, IOM staff have begun a similar mapping exercise as part of a Government of Japan Funded Project on strengthening border health.
IOM supported the recent National Aviation Public Health Emergency Preparedness Plan (NAPHEPP) workshop at Lungi Airport as a major step towards securing Sierra Leone’s air borders against future epidemics. IOM in combination with government partners has been active at Lungi since November 2014.
Situation Overview
The 2016 Global Peace Index released in June 2016 ranked Sierra Leone 43 out of 163 countries, up 16 places from 2015. This marks the highest ranking Sierra Leone has received since the Institute for Economics and Peace began including Sierra Leone in 2010.
The ambassadors of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to China have called for the revitalization of the Makona River Free Zone Development Project. Initiated in 2013, the Makona project was conceived in line with the Beijing Action Plan, yet progress was halted by the Ebola outbreak in all three countries. The project’s major components include the development of a free trade zone in the Makona River area, development of natural resources and strengthening of transportation infrastructure including railways and sea ports.
On 2-3 June 2016, relevant stakeholders gathered at the 2-day Human Resource Health Summit in Freetown to discuss the human resources needs in the health sector. Particular emphasis was placed on maternal and child health, challenges in health service delivery in rural communities, and the importance of investing in quality education. IOM has been in ongoing discussions with partners on facilitating the temporary return of qualified, cross-sectional diaspora medical professionals to reinforce technical mentorship for health facility clinicians.