Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is a beautiful country situated on the West Coast of Africa. It is known for its rich natural resources, such as diamonds and its stunning scenery from the array of rainforests, mountains, and beaches.

However, it remains one of the poorest countries in the world, ranked 184 out of 188 countries in the UN Human Development Index, with more than 53 percent of its population living below the national poverty line.

It has a population of 7 million according to the last census and still recovering from decades of political instability, civil conflict, and natural disasters.

The decade long civil war between 1991 and 2002 left the country fragile and most of its infrastructure in ruins.

The Ebola outbreak in 2014 and 2015 further decimated the healthcare infrastructure and brought the health sector on its knees.

Recent years have seen increasing natural disasters such as mudslide and flooding putting lives and property at risk.

The majority of the country’s population lives in rural areas, where access to basic health services is especially limited as most healthcare professionals work in urban areas.

There are huge disparities between the wealthy and the poor, and across rural and urban areas. Fifty-three (53) percent of the rural population do not have access to a basic amenity like good water supply and electricity, compared to 26 percent in urban areas.

Over the years the government has initiated strategies to improve the health situation of the population.