Licking Lassa Fever in Sierra Leone

The End…

The project has finally come to an end.

The total money donated was ￡80,700. The British Red Cross Society (BRCS), working through the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (SLRCS), has achieved a very successful Community Based Healthcare Programme throughout Sierra Leone. Work was carried out in all 13 regions of the country and enabled communities to come together and re-establish effective working to improve the health and wellbeing of their residents. This was done through ensuring potable water supplies, effective sanitation, community gardens, health education/promotion and health monitoring. Figures illustrating these successes are given below.

Area of work

Numbers

Working in SL regions/Red Cross branches

13

Community Action Group members

480 people

Lassa Fever education in Kenema

48 villages

Community action groups on responsible sex

720 groups

Education on HIV/AIDS

319,732 people

Education about Malaria

33,366 households

Vaccinations – children <5yrs – together with the MoH and UNICEF

453,179 children

Weight monitoring of infants

4,461 infants

Malnourished children referred

1,218 children*

Home visits for breast feeding

2,226 visits

Mothers and fathers advised re feeding

32,071 parents

Rehabilitation of wells

356 wells

Rehabilitation of wells – people benefit

32,814 people

Latrines constructed

41 latrines

* Just under 30% of children compared to 71% across the country – UNICEF data.

This would not have been possible without the financial help from SIWS and technical support from the international team of the BRCS. Our contribution has been acknowledged in the annual report of the BRCS Trustees – see page 43 of the report on http://www.scribd.com/doc/55261978/British-Red-Cross-2010-Trustees-report-and-accounts.

All clubs in SIWS contributed to this success, as well as 16 other SIGBI clubs, SI Freetown and UKPAC. The total money raised was ￡83,404 with ￡2,704 spent on expenses which included publicity (leaflets, flyers and display boards), goods for sale, postage and events. This gives a breakdown of expenses at 3% and the donation to the Red Cross of 97%. A cost:effective and cost:efficient programme which ensured that those with the greatest need were given help to improve their lives. Many thanks and congratulations to all who gave their support.

For reports from the Red Cross go to:

Licking Lassa Fever – health education & hygiene for all

Licking Lassa Fever was a regional project of Soroptimist International Wales South; it saught to stop so many people suffering and dying from Lassa Fever, other communicable diseases and malnutrition, in Sierra Leone.

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