Health Alert Sierra Leone joined the Ministry of Health and key development partners including GAVI, WHO, and UNICEF for a one-day health facility monitoring exercise across Western Urban and Western Rural districts.
The exercise commenced at the Western Urban District Health Management Team office on College Road, Cline Town, and continued through Wellington CHC, Hastings CHC, concluding at Leicester CHC.
This collaborative monitoring focused on primary health care delivery, with a particular emphasis on immunization services under the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI). The exercise revealed encouraging progress made by the government through the Ministry of Health, especially in strengthening immunization coverage and service delivery.
However, challenges persist primarily related to funding gaps in primary health care and vaccine logistics. These issues, while not unique, underscore the need for sustained investment and strategic support.
Key Observations and Recommendations:
The monitoring team noted tangible improvements in immunization service delivery and facility operations.Despite this progress, persistent gaps remain in basic financing for primary health care and vaccine-related logistics. This highlights a clear need for increased domestic resource mobilization to support minor facility-level expenditures, last-mile vaccine distribution, and routine facility maintenance.
Overall, the exercise marked significant milestones and reaffirmed the collective commitment to improving health outcomes through coordinated monitoring, learning, and action.
