June 18-19. Sierra Leone Health System Strengthening (HSS) Pilot Project Design Workshop

Let's see what goal we have in mind.

It was the hottest day since I came to Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone Health System Strengthening (HSS) Pilot Project Design Workshop was held for two days in Bonthe District, and 25 attendants from World Vision Sierra Leone, Ireland and U.S., World Vision International, Ministry of Health Sanitation (MOHS), Medical Team International (MTI), Local Council (District & Municipal Council), hospitals (UBC mission hospital, Sherbro island governmental hospital), and District Health Management Team (DHMT) joined this workshop. 

It was great experience for me to see how various stakeholders cooperate with each other and all gathered here in Bonthe District to improve Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH). 25 attendants were full of passion. In Bonthe District, there are only three physicians for 160,000 residents, which was the one of the worst Districts child health born. WHO’s recommendation is 23 doctors/nurse per 1,000 residents, but in Bonthe District, it is more than 300 times less needed, which is 0.06 per 1,000. We all were here for design workshop to meet each other’s expectations.

We set the goal that “Reduce maternal and newborn mortality in Bonthe District.” In the afternoon, we decided the following three high-level outcomes.

Raining during daytime kept me relax from heat wave.

Our logical framework approach has just finished.

1. Competent and skilled healthcare providers to provide EmONC services

2. Availability and utilization and essential EmONC supplies, medicines and equipment

3. Strengthened EmONC effective referral

*EmONC: Emergency Obstetric and New born Care

I encountered the reality of medical/public health issues from this workshop. It is a real happening in Bonthe District that I have never experienced at school. Next day, we thoroughly followed logical framework: input, output, activity, goal, and assumption. It was a real and challenging designing plans for everyone; we proceeded thoroughly and we even argued the subtle meaning of “referral” and “effective,” and difference between “monitoring” and “supervising,” “goal” and “pre-condition.” Beyond learning the definition about EmONC at school, I could see how realistically EmONC are being used for training, Health Information System, supervision, laboratory and referral in Sierra Leone. It was a long two-day but we had a productive time to set up goals for neonatal and maternal health in Bonthe District.