Sierra Leone
The resource-rich country is characterised by poverty, high youth unemployment, a very low density of medical personnel and one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world.
The project only started recently. The cover image is a symbolic photo and was not taken in the current project context. © Annie Spratt, Sierra Leone (Unsplash)
Improving children's health
Although Sierra Leone is rich in natural resources, it is one of the poorest countries in the world. Even today, the West African country is still suffering from the consequences of the civil war (1991 to 2002) and the Ebola outbreak (2014): Political instability and a healthcare system that lacks staff, medicines and equipment. There is a particular lack of care for children.
Sierra Leone in numbers
Maternal mortality
354 deaths per 100,000 live births (Switzerland: 5)
Under-5 mortality rate
94 deaths per 1000 live births (Switzerland: 4)
HIV prevalence
1.4 % (Switzerland: 0.2 %)
Doctors per 10'000 persons
1.3 (Switzerland: 44.7)
SolidarMed in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone has one of the highest under-five mortality rates in the world. Malnutrition is one of the main causes. The Koinadugu district is home to 50,000 children under the age of five. Difficult access to health care and the lack of health professionals exacerbate the children's situation and make them more susceptible to the possible consequences of malaria, diarrhoea or pneumonia. SolidarMed works together with the health authorities and the local Mama Pikin Foundation to give the children better prospects for the future thanks to improved health and nutrition.
Learn more about our project in Sierra Leone
Collaboration with the Mama-Pikin Foundation
The project is being implemented in close collaboration with the Mama-Pikin Foundation, a local NGO with proven experience in health programmes.
