Sierra Leone Scores Low in 2016 Human Development Index

Development for everyone requires the inclusion of everyone-Global Human Development Report 2016

                               Press Release 

Freetown March 30, 2017: Steady progress in human development cannot be achieved if half of the world’s population is bypassed, says the 2016 Global Human Development Report (GHDR). The Report was jointly launched by the Development Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, and the UNDP Resident Representative, on March 30, in Freetown.  

The Report, titled Human Development for Everyone,which was joint launched globally by the UNDP Administrator and the Prime Minister of Sweden in Stockholm on Tuesday of last week shows the unparalleled human development progress over the past 25 years, but says millions have not benefited from the gains. The report explores who has been left behind, why they have been left out and the urgent steps to bring these groups on board.

The Report, which focuses broadly on the richness of human lives rather than narrowly on the strength of economies, highlights the imbalances across countries: socio-economic, ethnic and racial groups; urban and rural areas; and women and men. The Report stresses that millions of people are unable to reach their full potential in life because they suffer deprivations in multiple dimensions of human development.According to the Report, Sierra Leone’s ranking in Human Development Index, which measures progress in long and healthy life, knowledge and decent standard of living, declined from 176 in 2014 to 179 out of the 188 countries and territories in 2015.

Development Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, John Sumailah,said Sierra Leone’s decline in Human Development Index was greatly influenced by the EVD outbreak and the fall in the international price of iron ore. He stressed the Government’s commitment in addressing the recommendations raised in the report to ensure human development reaches every Sierra Leonean.

The UNDP Resident Representative, Sunil Saigal, said the 2016 Human Development Report follows the first year of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the theme of this year’s report was drawn from and built on the SDGs.

The Human Development Report argues that to ensure human development for everyone, merely mapping of the nature and locations of deprivations is inadequate. Deeper analysis is required, including core human development aspects, such as human rights and human security, voice and participation, collective capabilities and interdependency of choices.

The UNDP Economic Advisor, Moses Sichei, while summarizing the findings of the Report, stressed that despite the country’s declined in HDI, live expectancy at birth improved from 50.9 years in 2014 to 51.3 years in 2015. Expected years of schooling and mean year of schooling stuck at 9.5 and 3.3, respectively over the same period. However, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth slowed from 4.6 percent in 2014 to negative 21,1 percent in 2015 implying a corresponding decline of the Gross National income per capita from US $ 1,960 to US $ 1,529 over the same period.

Vice Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone, Professor Ekundayo Thompson, said that action towards achieving a human development for all should be accelerated across all sectors particularly on improving the education indicator.

“The latest global Human Development Report is a deafening alarm bell that as a country we need to revisit the education system and make a bold decision to improve on the level of its quality,” said Professor Thompson.

Sierra Leone’s gender inequality remains very high.The female HDI value for Sierra Leone is 0.392 in contrast with 0.451 for males, resulting in a GDI value of 0.871 which is one of the lowest in the world.

Multi-dimensional poverty which measures multiple deprivations in a household in education, health and living standards,that goes beyond the monetary aspects of people’s lives, shows that 77.5 percent of Sierra Leonean are multi-dimensionally poor.

The launch was witnessed by representatives of government ministries, departments and agencies, ambassadors, high commissioners, parliamentarians, development partners, policy-makers, gender activists, academicians, media, civil society and officials of the United Nations. 

For more information, please contact:

UNDP Communications Unit. Email: communication.sl@undp.org. Follow us on Twitter @UNDPSierraLeone and Facebook on UNDP Sierra Leone, or log on to www.sl.undp.org .

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LAB trains 44 Tribal Heads as Paralegals

The Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board has trained forty-four members of the Western Area Council of Tribal Heads, their deputies, Section Chiefs and Barray Clerks as Paralegals. The training took place at the Sierra Leone Labour Congress Hall last Thursday, 23 March 2017. 

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles said the training is the first in a series to be organized by the Board in the coming months. She acknowledged the pivotal role of Tribal Heads in promoting access to justice because they dispense justice in an affordable and speedy manner.

She said the Tribal Heads are being trained as Paralegals to empower their mediation skills. Also, it will enable them to work with the police and the courts to assist their tribe’s men and women in accessing the formal justice system and do referrals for matters which fall outside their remit.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles said the training is part of efforts by the Legal Aid Board to recognize their status in the justice delivery system. ‘We want to lobby government to have Local Courts in Freetown but first have to train you as Paralegals to build your capacity to dispense justice to address issues people, especially lawyers, have against you.’ She said. ‘This will address complaints you have against lawyers relating to undermining your authority.’

She encouraged the Tribal Heads to hold community level meetings to preserve some of the good tradition, one of which relate to the upbringing of children which was seen as a community affair. She noted that youths make up more than eighty percent of the prison population and that such meetings could go a long way to reverse this trend.

Papers were presented by staff of the Board on the work of the Paralegals in the areas of mediation, provision of legal assistance to members of the community accessing the formal and informal justice system, organizing legal education through community outreach and monitoring human rights issues in the community.

Contributions were made by the various tribes represented at the meeting. This includes the Susu, Yalunka, Temne, Loko, Mende, Mandingo, Bagga, Limba, Kono, Koranko and Bassa.

A Chief of the Temne community, Ya Alimamy Manso Karama noted that the training has helped them know the difference between matters they can handle and those to refer to the police.

The Kono Tribal Headman, Chief S.O. Gbekie stressed that the training has helped address issues of extortion in the courts run by members of the Council. The Public Relations Officer for the Council of Tribal Heads, Alhaji Kandeh F.M. Kamara said there is a clear line of authority between the Tribal Heads and the sub-chiefs stressing that there is no conflict between the two.

Dr. Sarian Kamara appointed chairperson of AU Committee

In conformity with the AU Consultative Act for composition of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) and following due consultative amongst member states, the Bureau of the STC on Health, Population and Drug Control also appointed Vice Chairpersons for Cameroon-Central Africa, Mauritania - North Africa, Kenya - East Africa whilst Dr. Sarian Kamara was appointed Chairperson representing Sierra Leone for the West Africa region.

“Youth, Health and Development: Overcoming the challenge towards Harnessing the Demographic Dividend” was the theme slated for the meeting.

The Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Health, Population and Drug Control is one of fourteen Specialized Technical Committee, defined as an organ of the African Union in accordance with Article 5 (1) (g) of the AU Consultative Act. The STC on Health, Population and Drug Control meets once every two years

The rationale is based on Health, Population and Nutrition and on the Health and Socio-economic consequences of illicit drugs on youth.

The rationale is looking at the Africa ‘we want’ as an Africa which is prosperous based on inclusive growth and sustainable development, on Africa whose development is people driven, and reliant on the potential offered by its people especially its women and Children. An Africa where there is a high standard of living and quality of life and well-being for all of its citizens, who are healthy and well nourished. The importance of ensuring good health is key to reducing youth vulnerability and to maximize capital investment.

A combination of low mortality and fertility is a critical element for harnessing the demographic dividend, whilst child mortality rates in Africa have declined, fertility rates have remained high, with a continental average of 4.7 (World Population Prospects 2015 Revision). In some Africa countries, the fertility rate stands as high as 7.6. These phenomena give rise to high youth dependency rates and manifest themselves in many other challenges as there are limited resources to adequately invest in the development of each individual.

On the Health and Socio-economic consequences of illicit drugs on youth as alluded to earlier, a major objective of AU Agenda 2063 is to unleash the full potential of African Youth and women to boost socio-economic development. It is estimated that 68 of Africa’s Population is under age 30. That Youth can be critical agents for positive socio-economic change if appropriate investments are made and their rights to education, employment are made and their rights realized, in order to unleash their power to innovate and become productive citizens. Alternatively youth could turn into an army of employed youth which may increase social risks and tension. These and many more are within the rationale of the meeting.

Other highlights include presentations and discussions on Health Population and Drugs control, Briefing on opportunities and challenges on Human Resources for health, the milestones towards the setting up of the African Medicines Agency (AMA), sustainable school feeding and nutrition initiative implications for harnessing Africa’s Demographic dividend recommended that the maternal, newborn and Child Health Task Force prepare a Biennial Maternal, Newborn, and child health status Report up to 2030 in order to ensure political support. The Committee further decided  that the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Task Force ensures that Adolescent health is given more prominence in subsequent Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health status Reports.

The Experts meeting considered the 2017 Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health 2017 Report and observed the need for the Commission to enrich the Report by including the AU Commission’s ability to mobilize political support and leadership to end preventable maternal, child and newborn deaths through the AU campaign frame work to ending child marriage as good practice, highlighting the issues of conflicts and health emergencies such as Ebola,Zika and its negative impacts on maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health on the continent. Other recommendation was on Good governance and conflict prevention to mitigate the negative impact of conflict on maternal, Newborn, Child health and Adolescent health on the continent

The meeting was attended by delegates from the AU Member States: Algeria, Angola, Congo, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, Egypt, Eriteria, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, South Africa, The Sudan, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the United Republic of Guinea.

LAB secures release of 2 school kids

The Legal Aid Board has secured the discharge of two school pupils in less than twenty-four hours. One of the school kids standing trial for robbery with violence was discharge on Thursday, 30 March 2017. He was arrested in Waterloo in March. He claimed to have spent seven days at the Waterloo Police Station before the matter was charged to court. 

He made his first appearance at the Waterloo Magistrate court on 14 March 2017. He was denied bail and the matter was remitted to Juvenile Court No. 8 in Freetown where he was represented by the Board’s Juvenile Lawyer, Joel Deen-Tarwally.

On March 28, Lawyer Deen-Tarawally made an application for discharge on the grounds that the boy is below fourteen years and therefore cannot be held criminally responsible for his actions. The application was denied. At the same time, the Magistrate ordered an age assessment. Bail application was also granted.

The age assessment result presented in court on March 30 revealed that the boy is between the age of 12 and 13. Lawyer Deen-Tarawally therefore applied for discharge of the boy pursuant to Section 70 of the Child Rights Act 2007. The application was granted by Magistrate Otto During.   

The boy is a primary school pupil from Lungi. He was tracked at the Dems Juvenile Home in Kingtom during routine monitoring by Joseph Turay, a Social Worker with Defence for Children International. Joseph was able to trace the boy’s family in Lungi. He also approached the Legal Aid Board for legal assistance.

The Board also secured the discharge of a child from Tombo who was charged with sexual penetration. The child spent nine days in the adult cell at the Tombo Police Station before the matter was charged on the 23 February 2017. He spent over two months on remand and made four appearances in Court No. 8 before he was discharged for want of prosecution on March 29. He was also represented by Lawyer Deen-Tarawally.

During pre-discharge brief, the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles encouraged the children to waste no time in returning school when they reunite with their families. ‘Education should be your number one priority as a child,’ she said. She called on relevant agencies to play their part in rehabilitating the children. 

World Autism Awareness Day

Press Release

Dear Editor:

We are inspired by the people around the world that are speaking out for acceptance and inclusion of Autistic children in society! Yes, that’s what you and I want for every person on the autism spectrum disorders to be valued members of society, respected and admired for their neurodiverse way of thinking.

We know that you are working hard in the media to inform the country as we too are, to raise the awareness to make sure that this happens in our lifetime! The ninth annual World Autism Awareness Day is Sunday April 2, 2017. Every year, autism day is celebrated around the world with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events.

In Sierra Leone, Autism is silent but it is real, and for the first time, we are waking up everyone to stand up and join to campaign to change the story.  World Autism Awareness Day speaks about the prevalence and significance of the autism epidemic world-wide.

In recognition of this occasion and to increase awareness of the autism epidemic, STOP IT-Sierra Leone is launching the Day on Saturday 1^st April, 2017 at its head office on 17 of Kingharman Road in Brookfields, Freetown.

On April 1^st we will read a proclamation to “implement the ideals of World Autism Awareness Day in Sierra Leone until we set up a Child Development Centre”. Please join us in a press conference on 1^st April, 2017 at 17 Off Kingharman Road, Brookfields to bring this issue to the limelight it needs for attention and action in our country.

John Koroma                                                                                                                                          Founder and Executive Director

+232-76-482792 +232-30717611

Head Office: Ground Floor, East Wing, 17off Kingharman Road, Brookfields, Freetown, Sierra Leone; Tel+232-76-482792; +232-30-717611;Email:stopitsierraleone@yahoo.com

National eHealth coordination hub launched

By Kadrie Koroma

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation in collaboration with the Information and Communications Ministry has officially launched its National eHealth Coordination Hub at the Shangri-La Hotel, Aberdeen in Freetown.

Making his statement, the Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Brima Kargbo described the event as a timely and relevant initiative, particularly with the rapid expansion in the use of Information, Communication Technology (ICT) for health in the country since the Ebola outbreak.

He reiterated that the initiative is led by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Communications and supported by UNICEF with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Dr. Kargbo told his audience that the eHealth Coordination Hub is being established specifically to help coordinate and regulate the many digital health initiative that are currently being deployed in Sierra Leone, adding that it will entail an on-going inclusive, consultative process involving a wide range of stakeholders.

He noted that the eHealth Coordination Hub is a joint coordination and regulatory body to ensure that all digital health initiative in Sierra Leone are aligned with national health priorities and are deployed in a sustained manner in order to contribute towards building a strong and resilient health system.

Earlier, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer 11, Dr. Amara Jambai in his remarks described the eHealth as the future of health care delivery, with the potential to fast-track country health reform towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Care (UHC), adding that the initiative will help to strengthen the health information systems and support the delivery of high quality health care services at large.

The Director of Communications, Ministry of Information and Communications, Bakarr Tarawally said part of his Ministry’s mission is to support the work of government to develop the ICT sector in Sierra Leone. He said it will enable the deployment of information systems that can support the effective delivery of services to all the citizens of Sierra Leone.

He said investing and developing the ICT sector and services in Sierra Leone can provide the government with some of the tools needed to help address challenges that may be faced by the health sector in Sierra Leone.

Mr. Tarawally stated that the Information Ministry’s vision clearly shared with the Health Ministry to ensure that the citizen have access to timely, accurate, clear and objective information on national and international issues of relevance.

The Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Embassy, Laurie Meininger described eHealth as a rapidly growing field that is becoming an increasingly invaluable tool for strengthening health systems in developing countries.

She said the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreaks in West Africa brought global attention to the weak state of health systems in the three most affected countries including Sierra Leone.

The Deputy Chief of Mission disclosed that since the end of the epidemic, the U.S. Government has made over $3 million worth of investment in eHealth and health information systems strengthening in Sierra Leone.

She reiterated that a well-developed and well-utilized eHealth ecosystem can help address many of the challenges faced by health systems in low-income and developing countries.

Laurie Meininger said the launch of eHealth with the establishment of a government led coordinating and regulatory mechanism is a step in the right direction, especially the growing importance of eHealth in global health.

The UNICEF Representative, Geoff Wiffin said digital health has the potential to be a game change for Sierra Leone in addressing the critical challenges faced by the health system and increasing the availability and quality of the health services.

Other highlights include key statement by the Director of Policy, Planning and Information, Dr. Samuel Kargbo and presentation on the eHealth Coordination Hub by Research Specialist Edward Foday of the same Directorate.

Health Communication Capacity Collaborative Project debriefs Health Ministry on Exit Strategy

By Kadrie Koroma

The Director of Policy, Planning and Information, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Samuel Kargbo has said that the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone demonstrated the importance of health promotion in fostering a sense of community ownership and  shared responsibility for the health of the population.

Speaking during the Health Communication Capacity Collaboration (HC3) Project Exit meeting at the Ministry’s conference hall on Wednesday March 29, 2017, Dr. Kargbo reiterated that the experience gained during the outbreak is a clear indication that high-quality health promotion and adequate investment is critical in addressing trust and health issues of national priority such as maternal and infant mortality.

He said with technical and financial support of USAID funded Health Communication Capacity Collaboration project, Sierra Leone now has the cornerstone of a Health Promotion strategy that outlines a clear vision to strengthen health promotion in Sierra Leone for the next five years. He added that the Health Promotion Strategy also outlines a plan for strengthening the capacity of the Health Education Division and change agents at all levels to enable them to raise the quality of health promotion and harmonize it efforts across the country.

Dr. Kargbo appealed to all partners implementing health promotion activities to recognize the critical importance of the strategy, and work with the Health Education Division to ensure the activities in the implementation plan are implemented.

The USAID Health Adviser, Dr. Saad El-Din Hussein Hassan said the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) is a USAID-funded programme led by the John Hopkins Centre for Communication programmes.

He said HC3 implemented a Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) project in Sierra Leone between December 2015 to March 2017 to rebuild trust in the health system and encourage uptake of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) services as part of the Ebola recovery effort.

The Programme Manager, Health Education Division and Chairman for the meeting, Mr. Lansana Conteh described his Unit as one of the proud beneficiaries of the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative, and expressed gratitude and appreciation for the support.

Other highlights include presentation on HC3 project, monitoring and outcomes, data analysis, lessons learnt, recommendations, discussion, and sharing of the HC3 Global Social and Behavior Change Communication documents.

UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to visit voter Registration Centres in the Western Rural Freetown

Who: Sunil Saigal the UN Resident Coordinator & UNDP Resident Representative        

What: The UNDP Resident Representative (is also the UN Resident Coordinator) will visit two voter registration centers in the western rural district to observe public participation in the ongoing 2018 voter registration exercise.

When: Today, Wednesday 29 March 2017 @ 2:30 pm

Where: Milton Margai College of Education registration centre and the Goderich Community Centre, Western Area Rural

For more information or request for interviews, please contact John Terry, Communications Assistant, +232-78 852-226, john.terry@undp.org

Njala University to resume lectures after protest actions

Students of Njala University College in Sierra Leone are to return to lectures come Monday 3rd April 2017.

The students have been out of lecture room for good five months due to a sit down strike action staged by the Academic Staff Association of the university.

The reason for the strike action relates to the non payment of certain entitlements due the lecturers and other academic staff by the Government of Sierra Leone, as so claimed.

The Government of Sierra Leone on its part, says it owe Njala University nothing and that the strike action cannot be justified.

In the middle of this unclear situation are the students who were caught up in the middle. The students, left with no option, staged spontaneous and well coordinated joint strike actions in Freetown, Bo and Mokonde Junction.

The said strike actions left one person dead and a good number of students arrested, charged to court and summarily convicted for crimes related to disorderly behaviour.

Following the incidences surrounding he protest actions, the University Court which is the highest decision making body of the university, prevailed on the striking lecturers to return to the classroom almost immediately, assuring that the government will look into their concerns.

It is courtesy of this, coupled with fears that the protest actions by the students may intensify if lectures are not immediately resumed, that the lecturers deemed it fit to return to work.


 

“President Koroma still committed to promote maternal and child health in Sierra Leone” - Health Minister says

By Jonathan Abass Kamara and Kadrie Koroma

Health and Sanitation Minister, Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah has said that in spite of the numerous challenges within the Free Health Care Initiative, President Koroma is still committed to promote maternal, newborn and child health across the country.

Speaking at the commissioning and inauguration ceremony of the Lion Heart Medical Centre ultra-modern Isolation Ward in Yele at the Gbonkolenken chiefdom in the Tonkolili district, Dr. Fofanah reiterated President Koroma’s Post-Ebola Recovery priorities, adding that he is poised to fight against maternal, newborn and child mortality as well as building a resilient health system in the country.

He reminded his audience about the many lives saved since the launch of the Free Health Care in 2010, with the removal of cost which was a barrier, and now has established the National Emergency Medical Service (NEMS) to fill the gap and strengthen the ambulance services referral system countrywide.

The Minister opined that not acknowledging the Free Health Care initiative is a disservice to the government, adding that if people fail to accept the fact that there are unpatriotic citizens and saboteurs in the system then the problem for the beneficiaries remain challenging.

He also spoke of the establishment of a Para- Medical School in Makeni to train middle level cadre on Task shifting with a view to performing minor surgery thereby easing the problem of minor operations to the main referral hospitals. This initiative the Minister said would help build the ministry’s human resource for health capacity, and create jobs for over 1000 youths.

Commenting on the newly built ultra- modern Isolation Ward, Dr. Fofanah described the  structure as a magnificent facility that the Government is proud of noting that it will not only serve the Yele community but communities far beyond the Tonkolili district. He reiterated that the initiative is a strategic move to access health care, describing health care services as a divine contribution to human existence.

The Minister noted the Donor support to the Medical Centre and to the vulnerable and less privilege by way of complimenting Government’s efforts, and expressed gratitude and appreciation for the resourceful partnership with the District Health Management Team.

“The challenges and constraints on funding and expansion have been noted, and will plan a road map to strengthen collaboration”, opined Dr. Fofanah.

Bringing the curtain down the Minister urged the people to do the voter registration, expressing its importance during and after the elections for both the present and future integrity as a Sierra Leonean.

Lion Heart Medical Centre Country Director, Mr. Ruurd Van Rooijen said the Lion Heart Medical Centre was founded in 2010 and started as a small day time clinic with only one building.

He said in 2012 Dr. Erdi Huizenga came to the hospital as Medical Officer In-Charge and under her inspiring leadership expanded and developed the Medical Centre in to a second line, high quality and affordable hospital.

Mr. Ruurd Van Rooijen informed his audience that in 2012 they build a new ward for children, male and female and when the building was completed, there was cholera outbreak and half of the building was used as an isolation facility for cholera patients.

He said in 2014 during the planning to further improve the hospital with numerous supporting facilities, the Ebola Viral Disease outbreak came and devastated the hospital, adding that despite the outbreak, further development of the hospital continued and in 2015 a garage and workshop was constructed and a new bore hole was drilled with solar driven pump to supply the hospital with 24 hours running water.

More importantly for the Centre he said was their wish to build a permanent isolation ward to always be prepared for any outbreak of contagious diseases, and to be able to act swiftly to contain such outbreaks.

Giving an overview of the Lion Heart Medical Centre, the Country Director said after more than two years of preparation a large solar energy park with 72 panels and 48 batteries was installed, making the hospital completely self-supporting for its electricity demand.

He said the Lion Heart Medical Centre has developed and grown very fast not only in infrastructure and medical activities but also in the number of staff from five in 2010 to over 60 now predominantly from Yele and its surrounding communities and commended the Ministry of Health and Sanitation for their support to the centre during the Ebola outbreak.

The Medical Officer in-Charge, Lion Heart Medical Centre, Dr. Erdi Huizenga said in February 2012 she came to Yele with the task of building a functional health care hospital and commended Maria Hernandez for a great job in the hospital.

She said most of the junior staff of the hospital came from Gbonkolenken and was trained, while some senior staff with qualifications were hired and brainstormed about the future of the hospital.

Dr. Huizenga recalled on September 8, 2014, one of the darkest day in the hospital when they lost Joseph, one of their staff to Ebola. She said besides the sorrow and as management was trying to consult what to do, Dr. Augustine Jemissa the then Medical Superintendent and team from the Magburaka Government Hospital came to Yele and quarantine all the staff and the remaining patients in the hospital.

She informed her audience that during that period Pa Jalloh and Foday started having symptoms and were taken to Magburaka, and later Eric and Idrissa started to show signs and were found to have Ebola. She said hospital lack isolation ward, but with advises from specialists from WHO and CDC they were able to transform the new ward into a temporarily isolation ward and commended the Ministry of Health and Sanitation for their support with Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and other commodities to function as a holding centre.

The Medical Officer In-Charge thanked the people of Lion Heart Foundation in the Netherlands for the great job of supporting the hospital in filling the gaps during the Ebola outbreak.

Dr. Erdi Huizenga told the gathering that the building is dedicated to Joseph Conteh, Abdulai Jalloh, Idrissa Fofanah and Eric Duwai, as they lost their lives serving the hospital which they would always remember them for, adding that “a quality building is a real help in keeping proper hygiene standards”.

Other highlights include key statements from the Parliamentary Representative, Constituency 063 and Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Health, Dr. Abdulai Sesay, the District Medical Officer Tonkolili, Dr. Augustine Jemissa, cutting of the tape for the official opening of the Isolation Ward by the Minister of Health and a conducted tour of the facilities led by the Medical Officer In-Charge, Dr. Erdi Huizenga.

Launch of 2016 Global Human Development Report

The 2016 Human Development Report (HDR) titled “Human Development for Everyone” focuses on how human development can be ensured for everyone—now and in future. It starts with an account of the hopes and challenges of today’s world, envisioning where humanity wants to go.

The Report explores who has been left behind in human development progress—and why. Human development progress over the past 25 years has been impressive on many fronts. But the gains have not been universal. There are imbalances across countries; socioeconomic, ethnic and racial groups; urban and rural areas; and women and men. Millions of people are unable to reach their full potential in life because they suffer deprivations in multiple dimensions of human development.

The Report will be launched together with a presentation on Sierra Leone’s country note, on Thursday 30, March 2017 at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development Conference Room One, Treasury Building, George Street in Freetown, UN Resident Coordinator and Ministry of Finance and Economic Development will be three.

Who: Momodu L. Kargbo, Minister of Finance and Economic Development

          Sunil Saigal UN Resident Coordinator & UNDP Resident Representative

          Prof Ekundayo Thompson Vice-Chancellor University of Sierra Leone

What: Global launch of the Human Development Report 2016: Human Development for Everyone

When: Thursday 30 March 2017 @ 11:00am

Where: Ministry of Finance and Economic Development Conference Room One, Treasury Building, George Street, Freetown

For more information or request for interviews, please contact Alpha Daramy Sesay, Communications Assistant, +232-77 494810,alpha.sesay@undp.org

LAB calls for closer cooperation with prisons

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has called for closer cooperation with the Sierra Leone Correctional Service to promote access to justice for children.

‘The Correctional Service officers need to share information with our Paralegals regarding children in their custody so that we can provide them legal assistance,’ she said. ‘We wouldn’t know if the information is not made available to us because we do not expect children to be kept in correctional centers meant for adults.’

Ms. Calton-Hanciles made the call following the decision of the Correctional Service authorities in Kono not to admit children into the adult correctional center. This means child suspects refused bail will now have to be transported to Bo or Freetown, the only places with a remand home in the country.Ms. Calton-Hancileswant those in other centers around the country to follow suit.

Ms. Calton-Hanciles said that unlike adults who are subjected to the ‘Means Test’, children benefit from the scheme without any precondition. ‘Those kept in remand homes have benefited from the Board without any delay because our paralegals visits the homes regularly and inform the Juvenile Lawyer who represents them in court.’

The Board has incorporated peace messages into its school outreach programmes.     These messages will empower children so that they are not used by unscrupulous politicians to wreck violence. This includes things to watch out for to avoid being used. This includes free alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. Also, those who are below eighteen should not attend rallies, while those who are above eighteen should attend small rallies during the day. 

Ms. Calton-Hanciles also disclosed that the Board will be providing legal assistance to children involved in election related violence and therefore want to have the Correctional Service officers on board to provide information as and when children are arrested.

Also, the Board will be contributing towards a violent free election through its community and school outreach programmes. Already, the Board has instructed the eleven newly established Community Advisory Bureaus to organize outreach programmes geared towards ensuring peaceful elections. 

Sierra Leone Launches UN Security Resolution On Youth, Peace and Security

Sierra Launches UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security

On 28 February 2017, the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) in Sierra Leone in close partnership with the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding organized a launch event of the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, to honor this landmark resolution in an official ceremony. The Resolution was officially launched by Anthony A. Koroma, Commissioner, National Youth Commission. The event brought together well over one hundred and twenty representatives from the government, civil society organizations, youth activists, academics, some CSPPS members such as Cordaid, Search for Common Ground, United Network of Young Peacebuilders, as well as UN agencies, such as UNDP to discuss challenges and opportunities for greater youth engagement in the country's future. CSPPS was represented in this meeting by Peter van Sluijs, Coordinator of the CSPPS Secretariat and Senior Strategist at Cordaid.

Being on the crossroads since the country's civil war, Sierra Leone has had several processes unfolding as part of repositioning her place on the global and governance stages. While most of these processes are looked at as key opportunities for holistic growth and engagement, a lot seems disconnected as to answering questions like how central young people are in seeking joint and collective solutions to dealing with major drivers of conflicts, violence and fragility in general. Launching the UNSCR 2250 is a significant bold step in not only raising the profile and meaningful involvement of youth in peace and security, but further generating wider policy and stakeholder interest while building on commitments to solidify structures for holistic engagement with young people for a peaceful Sierra Leone.

Going beyond the launch, it is obvious that the debate no longer centers on how critical young people are when it comes to peacebuilding, conflict prevention and violent extremism; but rather how we are collectively answering the very question of what differently we can do for them (youth) to take the center stage in building and consolidating Sierra Leone's hard-earned peace. While acknowledging government of Sierra Leone's efforts in putting the necessary regulatory and institutional frameworks, it is our hope that the national launch of the Resolution will be an opportunity to doing more, particularly in harnessing the very demographic dividend that youth presents.

The launch further serve as a significant step in setting up an Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Youth Peace and Security in Sierra Leone and by extension, the very significant beginning to cushioning rising election tensions emanating in the lead up to the 2018 national polls. The wider CSPPS Country team in Sierra Leone has actively supported the event and will ensure follow-up in context of their work on New Deal and PSGs, but also as part of the overall national effort in placing youth at the center of peacebuilding and statebuilding.

Chaired by Prof. Memunatu Pratt, Head of Department, Peace and Conflict Studies at the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, the Launch event was concluded with a set of recommendations to governments aimed at attaining the fullest implementation of the UNSC Resolution 2250 and the SDG16 from a Sierra Leonean youth perspective. Some of these key recommendations included:

·         That there is need for forming an Inter-Agency Platform as an immediate post-launch structure that will lead the coordination of UNSCR 2250 at the national level.

·         The urgent need for the Development of a National Program of Action that will serve as road map for the implementation of the Resolution.

·         Active and continuous engagement of state and non-state actors to deliberately mainstream youth into their programming and implementations.

·         Engaging young people to take the lead in preventing conflict and promoting peace in their respective communities.

·         Constant and robust media engagement to raise awareness about the resolution.

Given Sierra Leone's youthful population, it is obvious that we cannot afford to miss the opportunity of leaving youth behind in patters of peacebuilding and their empowerment while building their capacities for development.

"There can be nothing for us without us. On behalf of the young people of Sierra Leone and partners, we welcome the promises, but we urge government to fulfill them and do more", Musa Ansumana Soko, lead convener and Executive Coordinator of Youth Partnership for Peace and Development concludes.

Sierra Leone Launches UN Security Resolution On Youth, Peace and Security

Sierra Launches UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security

On 28 February 2017, the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) in Sierra Leone in close partnership with the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding organized a launch event of the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, to honor this landmark resolution in an official ceremony. The Resolution was officially launched by Anthony A. Koroma, Commissioner, National Youth Commission. The event brought together well over one hundred and twenty representatives from the government, civil society organizations, youth activists, academics, some CSPPS members such as Cordaid, Search for Common Ground, United Network of Young Peacebuilders, as well as UN agencies, such as UNDP to discuss challenges and opportunities for greater youth engagement in the country's future. CSPPS was represented in this meeting by Peter van Sluijs, Coordinator of the CSPPS Secretariat and Senior Strategist at Cordaid.

Being on the crossroads since the country's civil war, Sierra Leone has had several processes unfolding as part of repositioning her place on the global and governance stages. While most of these processes are looked at as key opportunities for holistic growth and engagement, a lot seems disconnected as to answering questions like how central young people are in seeking joint and collective solutions to dealing with major drivers of conflicts, violence and fragility in general. Launching the UNSCR 2250 is a significant bold step in not only raising the profile and meaningful involvement of youth in peace and security, but further generating wider policy and stakeholder interest while building on commitments to solidify structures for holistic engagement with young people for a peaceful Sierra Leone.

Going beyond the launch, it is obvious that the debate no longer centers on how critical young people are when it comes to peacebuilding, conflict prevention and violent extremism; but rather how we are collectively answering the very question of what differently we can do for them (youth) to take the center stage in building and consolidating Sierra Leone's hard-earned peace. While acknowledging government of Sierra Leone's efforts in putting the necessary regulatory and institutional frameworks, it is our hope that the national launch of the Resolution will be an opportunity to doing more, particularly in harnessing the very demographic dividend that youth presents.

The launch further serve as a significant step in setting up an Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Youth Peace and Security in Sierra Leone and by extension, the very significant beginning to cushioning rising election tensions emanating in the lead up to the 2018 national polls. The wider CSPPS Country team in Sierra Leone has actively supported the event and will ensure follow-up in context of their work on New Deal and PSGs, but also as part of the overall national effort in placing youth at the center of peacebuilding and statebuilding.

Chaired by Prof. Memunatu Pratt, Head of Department, Peace and Conflict Studies at the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, the Launch event was concluded with a set of recommendations to governments aimed at attaining the fullest implementation of the UNSC Resolution 2250 and the SDG16 from a Sierra Leonean youth perspective. Some of these key recommendations included:

·         That there is need for forming an Inter-Agency Platform as an immediate post-launch structure that will lead the coordination of UNSCR 2250 at the national level.

·         The urgent need for the Development of a National Program of Action that will serve as road map for the implementation of the Resolution.

·         Active and continuous engagement of state and non-state actors to deliberately mainstream youth into their programming and implementations.

·         Engaging young people to take the lead in preventing conflict and promoting peace in their respective communities.

·         Constant and robust media engagement to raise awareness about the resolution.

Given Sierra Leone's youthful population, it is obvious that we cannot afford to miss the opportunity of leaving youth behind in patters of peacebuilding and their empowerment while building their capacities for development.

"There can be nothing for us without us. On behalf of the young people of Sierra Leone and partners, we welcome the promises, but we urge government to fulfill them and do more", Musa Ansumana Soko, lead convener and Executive Coordinator of Youth Partnership for Peace and Development concludes.

Sierra Leone Launches UN Security Resolution On Youth, Peace and Security

Sierra Launches UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security

On 28 February 2017, the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) in Sierra Leone in close partnership with the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding organized a launch event of the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, to honor this landmark resolution in an official ceremony. The Resolution was officially launched by Anthony A. Koroma, Commissioner, National Youth Commission. The event brought together well over one hundred and twenty representatives from the government, civil society organizations, youth activists, academics, some CSPPS members such as Cordaid, Search for Common Ground, United Network of Young Peacebuilders, as well as UN agencies, such as UNDP to discuss challenges and opportunities for greater youth engagement in the country's future. CSPPS was represented in this meeting by Peter van Sluijs, Coordinator of the CSPPS Secretariat and Senior Strategist at Cordaid.

Being on the crossroads since the country's civil war, Sierra Leone has had several processes unfolding as part of repositioning her place on the global and governance stages. While most of these processes are looked at as key opportunities for holistic growth and engagement, a lot seems disconnected as to answering questions like how central young people are in seeking joint and collective solutions to dealing with major drivers of conflicts, violence and fragility in general. Launching the UNSCR 2250 is a significant bold step in not only raising the profile and meaningful involvement of youth in peace and security, but further generating wider policy and stakeholder interest while building on commitments to solidify structures for holistic engagement with young people for a peaceful Sierra Leone.

Going beyond the launch, it is obvious that the debate no longer centers on how critical young people are when it comes to peacebuilding, conflict prevention and violent extremism; but rather how we are collectively answering the very question of what differently we can do for them (youth) to take the center stage in building and consolidating Sierra Leone's hard-earned peace. While acknowledging government of Sierra Leone's efforts in putting the necessary regulatory and institutional frameworks, it is our hope that the national launch of the Resolution will be an opportunity to doing more, particularly in harnessing the very demographic dividend that youth presents.

The launch further serve as a significant step in setting up an Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Youth Peace and Security in Sierra Leone and by extension, the very significant beginning to cushioning rising election tensions emanating in the lead up to the 2018 national polls. The wider CSPPS Country team in Sierra Leone has actively supported the event and will ensure follow-up in context of their work on New Deal and PSGs, but also as part of the overall national effort in placing youth at the center of peacebuilding and statebuilding.

Chaired by Prof. Memunatu Pratt, Head of Department, Peace and Conflict Studies at the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, the Launch event was concluded with a set of recommendations to governments aimed at attaining the fullest implementation of the UNSC Resolution 2250 and the SDG16 from a Sierra Leonean youth perspective. Some of these key recommendations included:

·         That there is need for forming an Inter-Agency Platform as an immediate post-launch structure that will lead the coordination of UNSCR 2250 at the national level.

·         The urgent need for the Development of a National Program of Action that will serve as road map for the implementation of the Resolution.

·         Active and continuous engagement of state and non-state actors to deliberately mainstream youth into their programming and implementations.

·         Engaging young people to take the lead in preventing conflict and promoting peace in their respective communities.

·         Constant and robust media engagement to raise awareness about the resolution.

Given Sierra Leone's youthful population, it is obvious that we cannot afford to miss the opportunity of leaving youth behind in patters of peacebuilding and their empowerment while building their capacities for development.

"There can be nothing for us without us. On behalf of the young people of Sierra Leone and partners, we welcome the promises, but we urge government to fulfill them and do more", Musa Ansumana Soko, lead convener and Executive Coordinator of Youth Partnership for Peace and Development concludes.

Njala University Students Plan Big Demo Tomorrow

                       Njala University Students Plan Big Demo Tomorrow

Njala University College students are planning a big demonstration tomorrow to express dissatisfaction over the continued strike action staged by their lecturers.

This situation has left the students stranded insofar as their education is concerned. For five months now, they have been out of lecture room as a result.

The seeming inaction by the authorities concerned has left the students with no option but to stage what they refer to as a "peaceful demonstration".

Accordingly, the students plan to direct their demonstration at State House in Freetown and have vowed not to leave there until His Excellency President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma who happens to be the Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone, address them on the way forward.

It remains unclear how peaceful and successful the demonstration will be, but what is clear is that the Sierra Leone Police sometime last year placed a stiff ban on all protest actions around State House.

Meanwhile, members of the public have condemned the way and manner in which government has handled the Njala situation thus far.

Legal Aid Board Frees Detainee

LAB secures discharge of ‘violent’ youth

As the Legal Aid Board prepares to provide legal assistance to indigents and children engaged in election related violence, it has successfully secured the discharge of a twenty-five old from Wilberforce in the West of Freetown charged with violence.

The Legal Aid Defence Counsel Hadiru Daboh secured the discharge after drawing the court’s attention to the failure of the complainant to attend court sittings for seven consecutive adjournments. What’s more, the complainant has not furnished the court with any reasons for his absence. Magistrate I.S. Bangura agreed with the Defence Counsel and discharged the matter. He noted that discharge would not stop the prosecution from reinstating the matter in future.

The accused, Alpha Kanu who plied his trade as driver and apprentice at the Wilberforce lorry park got involved in a fight with his boss Michael Aruna in February 2017. He was arrested and taken to the Congo Cross Police station following a complaint by his boss. According to Alpha Kanu, his injuries were ignored by the police even though they were more serious. He spent fifteen days at the Congo police station before the matter was charged to court.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles described the discharge as a test case which has been won.  ‘We will be representing accused charged with election related violence,’ she said. ‘This case has, in some way, prepared us for the task ahead in terms of approach and legal arguments.’

According to Carlton-Hanciles there are lessons to be learned. ‘The complainant is not interested in justice, he is only interested in having the accused locked up which he succeeded in doing,’ she said.  ‘We have too many such cases inour justice system, we have to find a way of punishing those who undermine the justice delivery system in this manner. I have a feeling we will have a lot of such cases in the election period, wherein people take matters which could be resolved in the community to the police to have their opponents lock up. We will be very ruthless with people who use the justice system to witchhunt or punish their opponents.’ 

Canadian Navy and High Commissioner visit Sierra Leone

Royal CDN Navy and High Commissioner visit Sierra Leone

For Immediate Release

Royal Canadian Navy ships and Canadian High Commissioner visit Sierra Leone

For immediate release: On March 19^th, 2017, two modern Royal Canadian Navy ships, the HMCS Summerside and Moncton, will berth in the heart of Freetown. The Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels will take part in Neptune Trident 17-01, the overarching Royal Canadian Navy deployment to West Africa, and includes engagements with West African nations to support joint training and foster relationships in the Gulf of Guinea region.

Personnel and crew will also participate in Obangame Express 2017, an at-sea maritime training event led by U.S. Naval Forces Africa. The Maritime Group will work with regional partners to support joint training, which aims to delay, disrupt, or destroy criminal or enemy forces or supplies en route at sea. The operation, Obangame Express 2017, is designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the region. Obangame means "togetherness," and comes from the Fang language of southern Cameroon and other parts of Central Africa.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for the Royal Canadian Navy to work in cooperation with global partners in joint training activities to promote Canada's ability to successfully work together with partners and allies on multinational operations and missions,” said Harjit Singh Sajjan, Canada’s Minister of National Defence.

That same theme, Obangame (togetherness), can be applied to the visit of Commanders and crew of Summerside and Moncton as they engage with Government of Sierra Leone officials, girls and boys, orphans, youth, school-going children, men and women of Sierra Leone. Between March 19^th and March 25^th, the Captain and crews of the Royal Canadian Navy ships will help out and play with children at an orphanage in Cline Town, read to children in Aberdeen and visit historic sites in Freetown. Navy personnel will be joined by Her Excellency, Heather Cameron, the Canadian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, as they continue to demonstrate the togetherness of Canada and Sierra Leone.

“This month marks the 225^th anniversary of the Nova Scotians arriving from Canada and the establishment of Freetown in 1792. This is likely the oldest contact between Canadians and Sub Saharan Africa, and it is an honour to be in Freetown with two Marine Coastal Defense Ships of the Royal Canadian Navy – both of which have sailed to Freetown from Halifax, Nova Scotia.”

“2017 is also the 150^th anniversary of Canada’s confederation, when 4 provinces, including Nova Scotia, voluntarily came together to found a country called Canada. In this 150^th year, we are proud to celebrate Canada’s identity; our ethnic, linguistic, cultural and regional diversity; our beautiful environment; and, our rich history and heritage. Our anniversary celebrations focus on the themes of diversity and inclusiveness, reconciliation with our Indigenous peoples, youth engagement and leadership, and the environment.”

H.E. Heather Cameron, High Commissioner of Canada to Sierra Leone.

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Background

In 1792, 225 years ago, more than 1,000 former slaves from the U.S. and settlers left the shores of Nova Scotia, Canada, to return to Sierra Leone as free men and women. They settled in the nest along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean beneath the enclave of hills known as “Lion Mountain”. And, in commemoration of their return to West Africa, named their new home, “Freetown”.

Under the British protectorate, they built homes, schools and churches. They named roads, cultivated the soil, traded and built what is now a thriving metropolis. On March 11^th, 2017, the Mayor and dignitaries celebrated the founding of Freetown by these same settlers under the majestic Cotton Tree before the historic law courts on Siaka Stevens Street.

And so began the strong, rich relationship between the east coast of Canada and the west coast of Sierra Leone. The ancestors of those freed slaves and settlers blossomed and in 1961 formed the Republic of Sierra Leone, independent of Britain; a sovereign nation under the warm sun along the pristine coastline. In 1961, Canada and Sierra Leone established formal diplomatic relations and the connection between the two countries flourished.

The special affinity between the two countries is reflected today in a positive working relationship, which allows Canada and Sierra Leone to cooperate on a broad spectrum of issues, including the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission. Canada was the 6th largest donor to the UN Peace-Building Fund, pledging $35 million through 2012. This support has included Canadian training, equipment and programs for police and Sierra Leonean peacekeepers. Canada has chaired the Sierra Leone PBC Country configuration since February 2009. Canada was highly involved with the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), which concluded its work in 2013, contributing $18 million over the life of the Court and chairing the Court’s Management Committee, presiding over one of its trial chambers.

Canada was one of the earliest responders to the Ebola crisis, and committed more than $130 million to help address the health, humanitarian and security implications of the crisis in West Africa. In 2014-2015, Canadian development assistance, estimated at $21.73 million for Sierra Leone, essentially targeted humanitarian assistance and health.

Canada also contributed in-kind efforts to end the Ebola outbreak, including the deployment of two rotating mobile laboratories (provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada - PHAC) and lab teams to Sierra Leone from June 2014 to May 2015); support to the deployment of health experts and emergency response personnel to UN agencies in the affected countries; the donation and delivery of more than $18 million worth of items of personal protective equipment to the WHO and, the donation of an experimental vaccine to the WHO. Based on an interim analysis of the vaccine during trials in Guinea, the E-Bov vaccine proved effective in protecting people exposed to Ebola, the vaccine is now being used in Sierra Leone.

In November 2014, Canada launched the “Join the Fight against Ebola” campaign, which led to the recruitment of seven Canadian healthcare workers and the deployment of 58 delegates through the Canadian Red Cross, to help manage existing Ebola Treatment Centres in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea (including 36 delegates who were specifically deployed to support response efforts in Sierra Leone).

From December 2014 to June 2015, the Department of National Defence also deployed Canadian Armed Forces healthcare and support staff to work at the UK’s Kerry Town treatment centre, where they provided medical care to 90 local and international healthcare workers.

Stephen Douglas

Journalist/Media Development Consultant

(currently based in Freetown, Sierra Leone)
Phone: +232 (0) 78 508 995

Skype: stephen.douglas63

"Quality journalism enables citizens to make informed decisions about their society’s development. It also works to expose injustice, corruption, and the abuse of power. For this, journalism must be able to thrive, in an enabling environment in which they can work independently and without undue interference and in conditions of safety."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon