Sierra Leone – March 2025 – In a concerted effort to get rid of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B (Triple Elimination), Sierra Leone strengthened its healthcare workforce by way of focused coaching of frontline well being employees in Makeni and Bo. Held from March tenth to 14th, 2025, the coaching geared up healthcare suppliers with the data and abilities wanted to ship built-in EMTCT (Elimination of Mom-to-Youngster Transmission) providers inside maternal and youngster well being (MCH) platforms.
A complete of 80 individuals—together with Maternal and Youngster Well being Aides, Senior Enrolled Neighborhood Well being Nurses, Midwives, Neighborhood Well being Officers, and HIV Counselors—took half within the coaching throughout the 2 places, with 40 individuals in every. Funded by the International Fund, the coaching addressed important gaps recognized in a latest fast EMTCT cascade evaluation carried out in June 2024 which revealed key service supply challenges: solely 77 out of each 100 newly recognized girls residing with HIV had been initiated on ART throughout their first antenatal care (ANC) go to; solely 36 out of each 100 HIV-positive girls delivered in well being services; and as much as 30 out of 100 infants examined constructive at 18 months. Moreover, stock-outs of HIV and syphilis testing kits, information integrity challenges, and weak laboratory techniques additional compounded these points, weakening the general efficiency of the Triple Elimination program.
Contributors had been geared up with sensible abilities to offer built-in providers for EMTCT of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. This included screening and therapy of pregnant girls and well timed testing and therapy for uncovered infants. Moreover, individuals realized about hepatitis B vaccination and the way to make sure efficient linkage to care. This coaching enhanced healthcare employees’ skill to supply complete and important EMTCT providers.
The World Well being Group (WHO) supplied technical assist, making certain the coaching aligned with world greatest practices. WHO’s contributions included reviewing coaching supplies, facilitating periods, and providing professional steerage on efficient EMTCT methods, medical case administration, and repair integration.
This initiative reinforces Sierra Leone’s dedication to world EMTCT targets and maternal-child well being enchancment objectives. Instant outcomes from the coaching embody an enhanced capability of frontline healthcare employees to ship built-in triple elimination providers, stronger coordination between MCH and disease-specific applications to optimize service supply, and improved preparedness in healthcare services to offer well timed testing, therapy, and prevention interventions.
Reflecting on the impression of the coaching, Sr. Roberta Macauley, the District Well being Sister (DHS1) in Falaba District, shared: “This coaching has enhanced my data and abilities, offering up-to-date data on prevention, transmission, and care. Although I don’t work instantly with sufferers, I now have a stronger basis in counseling, understanding the required steps earlier than therapy, and strengthening prevention methods. After I’m within the discipline for supervision, I’ll positively know what to search for.”
Equally, Annie Morlai, SECHN at Kombayandeh Neighborhood Well being Centre in Kono District, emphasised the significance of sustained assist: “If we, as well being employees, do the suitable factor at our services for all HIV-positive girls, we are able to construct a future with an HIV-negative inhabitants and a more healthy nation. To attain this, we want common assist from our nationwide and district groups to observe our progress and make sure the constant availability of important medicines and check kits.”
To keep up the positive aspects achieved from this coaching, ongoing mentorship and supportive supervision for educated healthcare employees can be important. Strengthening provide chain administration to make sure the continual availability of HIV check kits, ART, and different important commodities stays a precedence. Moreover, sturdy monitoring and analysis mechanisms can be important for monitoring progress, figuring out gaps, and informing future coverage and programmatic selections.
Investing in healthcare workforce improvement stays a key precedence for WHO, the Ministry of Well being, and companions. Strengthening human useful resource capability can be essential to sustaining progress towards EMTCT and bettering long-term well being outcomes for girls and youngsters in Sierra Leone.