Plan helps to bring free healthcare to Sierra Leone

Young children, their mothers, and pregnant women across Sierra Leone are now entitled to free healthcare – a major leap forward for a country with some of the worst child and maternal mortality rates in the world.

For a long time, Plan in Sierra Leone has been involved in advocating for free, quality healthcare. Several years ago, Plan in a coalition with other non-governmental organizations began pressing the Ministry of Health and Sanitation for a better healthcare package.

Towards the end of April 2010, the Sierra Leonean government announced its free healthcare policy, which covers more than 1,500,000 women and children.

Saving lives

Before this legislation, women in Sierra Leone had to pay unaffordable fees in order to give birth in a hospital, or to see a doctor or nurse. Currently, 1 in 5 children die before their fifth birthday, and a shocking 1 in 7 women in Sierra Leone die in pregnancy or childbirth.

Now all healthcare, including medicines, will be available free for all pregnant women, children aged under 5, and lactating mothers at every government hospital and clinic.

Plan support

The extent of the new initiative means that the Ministry of Health and Sanitation will need support from all government partners in the health sector, including Plan.

Plan will continue to support communities where we have longstanding relationships, such as the district of Moyamba where Plan will help the district health management team with the full implementation of the free healthcare program. Plan’s knowledge of putting social programs into operation at the local level will be essential to this upcoming process.

Welcome news

Plan Sierra Leone Country Director Fadimata Alainchar said: “We welcome this good news. And we hope that with our support the government’s free healthcare program will be a long lasting reality for the women and children of Sierra Leone.”

Find out more about Plan’s work in Sierra Leone.