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Freetown, 29 Oct. 2014: VSO is supporting a vital new project in partnership with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health and Sanitation –The Reproductive and Child Health Directorate to address the growing misinformation about Ebola which is spreading and preventing pregnant and lactating women from accessing basic medical services.
In the first instance, the focus will be on dispelling myths about Ebola transmission via a series of awareness raising meetings in and radio discussions. The project will be undertaken in the emerging epicentres of the outbreak namely Portloko, Bombali, Moyamba and the Western Area of Freetown.
“This is exactly the right type of intervention we need at this precise time,’ said Shirley Sia Simbo, Programme Manager for Health, who is leading the work for VSO in Sierra Leone.
“We can see so many of the advances in maternal and child health being undone before our eyes because people are scared to go to clinics. We need health workers to be much better prepared in order to stop the spread of Ebola, but we also need people to understand what a real risk is and what is not.”
On a practical level, VSO has agreed to support the distribution of education materials and infection prevention and control supplies. We will continue to train community health workers to enforce standard clinic protocols that minimise infections and improve clinic management.
Also building on a long track record of supporting maternal and child health in Sierra Leone, this project will advise expectant and new mothers how to stay safe and receive basic health care so they do not give birth unattended if there are complications.
VSO is also supporting the Ebola response by encouraging our returned volunteers to apply for health worker roles in Sierra Leone with Save the Children and the International Federation of the Red Cross. Health workers are desperately needed to deliver much needed support in the Ebola treatment centres.
VSO is encouraging individual and institutions to support fight against Ebola and save lives of the people in Sierra Leone. We highly appreciate and value financial assistance / donations from public made through VSO for this humanitarian assistance.
ENDS
For more information or to request and interview, contact VSO Press Office via Ruby Wright on ruby.wright@vso.org.uk and Tel: +44(0)7969983222
Visit www.vso.org.uk and www.vsointernational.org
Notes to editors:
VSO is the world’s leading independent international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. VSO's high-impact approach involves bringing people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action, and change lives to make the world a fairer place for all.
Activities supported since August 2014:
- VSO has already given financial and technical support to the health education department of Ministry of Health and Sanitation, government of Sierra Leone. 11 training sessions for 220 people, which have helped to revitalise District Social Mobilization Committees. The committees are working to accelerate the efforts of awareness generation on Ebola amongst the general population, with an emphasis on pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under five.The training sessions were conducted in Kambia, Port Loko, Bombali, Koinadugu, Kailahun, Kenema, Bo, Moyamba, Tonkolili and Western Area Urban and Western Area Rural Districts between August to October 2014. About 220 participants from local council, NGOs/CBOs, line Ministries, civil society and community groups participated.
- VSO handouts Provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like hand gloves, large bottles of hand sanitizers and face masks to health facilities in Tonkolili, Bonthe, Kenema and Kailahun.
- VSO provided transport support to the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) department, enabling health facilities to improve their Ebola response and promote access to vital maternal, child health and newborn services in the context of Ebola.
- VSO has provided a Technical Assistant to the human resource department of Ministry of Health and Sanitation, government of Sierra Leone. The assistant helps ensure that health workers receive timely wages and therefore remain committed to work in the facilities.
