Healthcare in Sierra Leone
Healthcare in Sierra Leone is provided by a combination of government, private, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). There are over 100 NGOs operating in the healthcare sector in Sierra Leone. The Ministry of Health and Sanitation is responsible for organizing healthcare in the country. After the civil war, the ministry adopted a decentralized structure to improve coverage.
Sierra Leone is divided into 13 health districts, each corresponding to a district in the country. The Western Area Rural and Western Area Urban districts are combined into the Western Area Health district. Each district has a health management team and an average of 50 peripheral health units (PHU) with over 100 technical staff. The management team is responsible for planning, organizing, and monitoring healthcare provision, training personnel, working with communities, and supplying equipment and drugs.
The PHUs serve as the primary delivery point for healthcare in the country. There are three main types of PHUs. Community health centers carry out health prevention measures, cures, and health promotion activities. They also oversee other PHUs in the area. Community health posts perform similar functions but have fewer facilities and mainly refer patients to health centers or district hospitals. Maternal and Child Health posts are the first level of contact on the ground and are located in smaller towns with populations between 500-2000.
In April 2010, Sierra Leone launched the "Free Health Care Medical Insurance" scheme, providing free healthcare for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under five. This initiative aimed to improve access to healthcare for vulnerable populations.
References:
- [1] The Kambia Appeal. "Sierra Leone.
 | This hospital-related article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it. |
" Retrieved from http://www.kambia.org.uk/information_about/sierra_leone.htm
- [2] Ministry of Health & Sanitation. "The Primary Health Care Hand Book Policing.
| This hospital-related article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it. |
" Retrieved from http://www.health.sl/drwebsite/publish/healthcare.shtml
- [3] Sierra Express Media. "April 27, 2010 Sierra Leone’s Independence and Semi-Health Care Reform Day.
| This hospital-related article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it. |
" Retrieved from http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/7548
- [4] BBC News. "Sierra Leone starts free care for mothers and children.
| This hospital-related article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it. |
" Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8645968.stm
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