Mercy Hospital

Critical Health Issues

From the 2009 UNICEF Humanitarian Action Program for Sierra Leone:
Ravaged by a 10-year conflict, Sierra Leone is ranked near the bottom of the Human Development Index.  Access to basic services such as health, water, and sanitation remains a real challenge.  Children’s health is heavily affected by prevailing diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, malnutrion, and respiratory infections.  Wide disparities in access to safe water and sanitation are observed.  HIV/AIDS is a major threat, with little prevention and lack of access to education and health care systems.

Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO) – The International Journal of Public Health
Sierra Leone’s recovery from scars of war: The civil war that ravaged Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2002 destroyed the country’s infrastructure including its health systems.  Angel Desai talks to Dr. Muctarr Jalloh about the effects of the war on health services in his country

VITAL STATISTICS:

  • Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world
  • Cost of health care services are beyond the ability of most to afford
  • Less than 200 doctors serve a population of nearly 5.5 million
  • Supply of effective medications is unreliable
  • Quality diagnostic laboratory and radiology services are rare


AS A RESULT:

  • Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality rate in the world
  • Sierra Leone has one of the highest under 5 mortality rate in the world
  • Malnutrition is rampant and is a key factor in over 40% of under 5 deaths
  • Average life expectancy is 55 years of age
  • Malaria is responsible for 37% of all hospital admissions in Sierra Leone and is the number one national health priority for the country
  • Medical professionals have limited access to continuing medical education programs



The cost of health care services is too high for most to afford, medication supply is unreliable, and quality diagnostic testing services are limited to the wealthy and those living in the capitol city of Freetown. As a result unnecessary suffering and death ensues:

• Every day, a child will die of pneumonia because the $85 it would cost for his week-long hospital care represents an entire year’s income for his family.

• A mother dies in child birth every 30 minutes in Sierra Leone. 75% of deliveries occur in the home, usually on a bare earth, birth without a trained birth attendant, so that when a problem occurs there is no one to help.

• Nearly 1/4 of toddlers in Sierra Leone suffer from muscle wasting and stunted growth because their families lack the skills and tools to grow low-cost, protein-rich foods.

• Most husbands with HIV will infect their wives and subsequent children because they are afraid to tell anyone of their disease and do not know that treatment is available.