By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma
The Director of Programmes and Operations, Save The Children in Sierra Leone, Dr. Modupe Taiwo has said that about 200,000 women and children will benefit in Strengthening Health Systems Project in Pujehun and Portloko district in the country.
She made this disclosure during the launch of the project on Wednesday 4th September at the Atlantic Lumley Hotel in Freetown.
According to her , the project will be implemented in two districts, in 62 health facilities adding that 31 in each from these two districts will have a component of strengthening the health facilities to be able to improve the quality of health services to mothers, children and other community members in that part of the country.
‘’ we also have the components of community behavior change in health seeking. So there’s a demand side of the committee where the community are empowered to be able to come to the health facility and demand good quality services for their children and for themselves,’’ she said, adding that, there’s also the component of building the capacity of health workers to provide the quality health services needed to patients.
She said that, as part of the project, they are also providing materials, equipment, medical materials, and medications stating that they’ve had series of discussions with the health ministry and the Central medical stores to ensure that they have the correct drug lists and the volume that is required in all the medical facilities that they are supporting in the project.
‘’ We recognize that to be able to provide quality health services, the infrastructure of health facility is also very critical , and we know that most of the health facilities are not in a very good shape that would allow this quality,’’Dr. Modupeh Taiwo lamented, thus they have identified four of the health facilities that they would be renovating.
Dr. Modupeh Taiwo added that the project will run up to five years but that the engagement from the donors, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint will be on a yearly basis but said for this year, it will be 1.5 million dollars.
Kenneth Pambu, Welfare Self Reliance Manager for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint, said that they are funding Save The Children in Sierra Leone about 1.5 million dollars which he said will be a five year project totaling about 5million United States dollars.
‘’ We are talking about maternal health; we are talking about still births. We are talking about nutrition, how we can contribute to helping children, our mothers so that they can have good health facility and be able to overcome health challenges,’’ he said.
He added that, at the end of the project they wanted to see deliverables like improved health facilities in the project sites stating that increased orientations on hygiene practices and then be able to save pregnant and lactating mothers in that part of the country.
On his part, Dr. Tom Sesay, Director Reproductive and child health, at the Ministry of health said they as a ministry were happy with the launch of the Save the Children project of strengthening health system which he said aligns with the health ministry’s objectives, mission and vision which is to improve the health and general well-being of the citizens in the country.
‘’ This project which focuses on maternal and child health related interventions which will positively improve on maternal and child health mortality, nutrition interventions. Also they will have to support the capacity building of staffs in order to ensure the improvement of technical knowledge and competence of staffs and quality improvement programmes,’’ he said, adding that these interventions will address the many issues in the Portloko and Pujehun district of Sierra Leone.
He said also as part of the project, there will be the procurement of health commodities, medicines, nutritional supplies stating that it’s a loaded intervention which also involves capacity building, governance issues and community engagement issues.
‘’We are very positive. Our role is to ensure that everything work well, we have established a steering committee in order to monitor the implementation of the project over time to ensure that it is well implemented,’’ Dr. Tom Sesay added.
Dr. Tom Sesay went on to say if the project if implemented as it has been planned there will be an impact on maternal and child health in the Portloko and Pujehun district.
‘’So, it’s quite impactful. We believed that, the results that will be having will also translate into the national result. We are excited as it is not the only project we are looking at ministry of health, there is a lot we are doing. We have a lot of other donor partners supporting other project which he said will definitely create an impact in reducing maternal and child mortality in Sierra Leone,’’ Dr. Tom Sesay believed, adding that , that those interventions would improve the quality of health services in those areas of the country.
