Report October-December 2009

The Sierra Leone Red Cross Society has been working in partnership with national institutions, International Organisations and key international partners such as the British Red Cross and their back donors (e.g. Licking LassaFever). The achievements of the Community Based Healthcare Programme (CBHP) cover a number of areas which include communicable diseases, hygiene matters and First Aid.

This quarter they included:

• 36 Staff and volunteers from 13 SLRCS branches were trained as trainers on the revitalized Community Based Health First Aid;

• 152 wells were chlorinated by 24 Red Cross volunteers in Pujehun, Kono, Koinadugu, Kambia and Kenema branches from October-December. 10,640 people will benefit from this activity;

• 260 Red Cross volunteers carried out a one-day sensitization campaign on malaria, TB and Lassa Fever. Volunteers used megaphones and visited places such as schools and market places with clear and simple health messages reaching 85,306. The target set for this activity had been 75,130, hence an achievement of 112% was reached;

• households were targeted for net hanging and promotion in the eight malaria keep-up branches by 1,785 volunteers using the house–to-house promotion visit between October and December. The branches involved were Western Area, Bombali, Tonkolili, Kono, Kenema, Bo, Pujehun and Moyamba. 29,760 households were reached during the reporting period;
• Monthly health promotion talks were carried out in schools with 260 Youth Peer Educators (YPE) in 13 branches – health promotion talks were on HIV/AIDS related issues, reaching 65,260 young people across the country;
• 78 skits on HIV/AIDS related issues were conducted by YPE in schools and communities in 13 branches. 30,216 were reached during the quarter;
• 80 People Living with HIV/AIDS were visited in Bombali, Moyamba and Bo by 12 care givers between October and December. Eight Drama performances, one AIDS fair and five radio discussion programmes were aired and health promotion talks were carried out in schools. The theme for World AIDS Day 2009 was “Protect your baby, take the test”. These three activities started from 29th-1st December, targeting 150,000 and reaching 148,502;

• 300 Red Cross volunteers from all the branches participated in a ten-day immunisation exercise against yellow fever, polio, measles and other supplementary immunisation activities (deworming and vitamin A administration). Volunteers took part in social mobilisation activities (house-to-house visits); crowd control, tallying, marking of fingers for under fives, women of child bearing age and all adults across the country.

Due to the financial difficulties of another ‘back funder’ LLF donated a further £40,000 in February 2010 in order to continue this important work. So far we have donated £65,000. Our last donation will be in February 2011 so please continue to support us in raising funds to help the people of Sierra Leone. See the ‘Ways to help’ page for how you can do this.

Please leave your comment so we know what you think about this article. Trackback URL: Report October-December 2009.