Sierra Leone

Office Staff

Photo of Jibba and Marc at the JSI office in Freetown

  • John Durgavich, Chief of Party
  • Zaira Alonso, Deputy Chief of Party
  • Haddis Mulugaint Tafese, Monitoring & Evaluation Advisor
  • Bailah Molleh, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer
  • Princess Sowa, Community Resource Mobilization Manager
  • Alpha Amadu Bah, Infrastructure Manager
  • Idrissa M Kamara, Office Assistant
  • Regina Koroma, Accountant
  • Samuel Boyle Jones, Administrative Officer
  • Mohamed Samuel Kamara, Operations Manager
  • Mohamed Alie Kamara, Office Assistant
  • Paul Musa, Finance Manager
  • Joseph Amara, Driver
  • Santigie Kamara, Driver
  • Zacharia Kamara, Driver

Contact Information

10 Gordon Street
Aberdeen, Freetown
+23278980055
John_Durgavich@jsi.com
(John Durgavich, Chief of Party)

Advancing Partners & Communities is providing assistance to implement the Government of Sierra Leone post-Ebola recovery priorities in the health sector, with focus on rebuilding primary health care services and community outreach, thus contributing to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) key objectives to reduce maternal mortality and maintaining a resilient zero. The work in Sierra Leone is achieved through a couple of components.

Photo of Margaret Anthony and staff

Margaret Anthony (right), maternal and child health (MCH) aid with the Sierra Leone MOHS at her healthcare facility in the Western Area-Rural district. View the photo gallery from Sierra Leone »

Post-Ebola Recovery: Strengthening Primary and Community Health Services in Sierra Leone

In June 2017, Advancing Partners & Communities, in collaboration with Sierra Leone’s MOHS, completed a two-year project aimed at improving access to, and availability of, quality basic health services, with focus on maternal and child health. The project worked in five of the country’s districts most affected by Ebola, improving access to water, sanitation, waste management, and health services within primary health care facilities and at the community level.

Graphic showing the project served 28% of the country's population for 2 million people.

During the two-year period, the project revitalized 305 health facilities providing various levels of support:

  • Improved water and sanitation
  • Installed solar power systems for lighting
  • Provided basic medical equipment
  • Trained over 900 health professionals
  • Trained 1,500 community health workers and peer supervisors
  • Strengthened 214 Facility Management Committees.

These initiatives have improved health services for 2 million Sierra Leoneans and strengthened health facilities, making them more resilient in the face of potential future outbreaks.
Learn about the recent project celebration event »

Watch New Videos - June 2017

APC recently made two new videos from Sierra Leone, including part two of a series showing the work done to improve primary health care services at health posts and community levels. This short film focuses on the efforts made to rebuild these services as part of the post-Ebola transition in the country.

The second video documents the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and infection prevention and control (IPC) measures implemented in Sierra Leone to improve primary health care services at health posts and community levels.

Screenshot from Rebuilding Health Services in Post-Ebola Sierra Leone (part 2, click to view) Screenshot from Strengthening WASH and IPC Services in Post-Ebola Sierra Leone (click to view)

Vist APC's Vimeo page or YouTube channel.

Learn more about this project:

Results Infographic »

Thumb for results infographic

Project Overview »

Thumb for project overview document

Photo Journal »

Thumb for photo joural document

Ebola Transmission Prevention and Survivor Services Program

Launched in July 2016, the Ebola Transmission Prevention and Survivor Services Program (ETP&SS) works with governments of Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea and other stakeholders to prevent further Ebola virus disease (EVD) transmission and to reduce the risk of resurgence from Ebola viral persistence in survivors; and to reduce stigma and other barriers that keep survivors from accessing health care services.

ETP&SS also develops and implements guidelines and tools for Ebola transmission prevention and provision of critical survivor services; trains health care providers, traditional and local government leaders, survivor associations and networks, survivor advocates, and survivors themselves; renovates health facilities in high-volume districts, including provision of specialty care equipment; conducts supportive supervision and mentoring for health care workers in high-volume districts; and collects and transports semen samples for testing.
Learn more about the program »

Interviews with a Delegation of Ebola Survivors

Screenshots of each of the three interviews

Candid interviews tell the stories of three Sierra Leoneans who were affected by the Ebola virus. In their own words, two survivors and a ministry official share their experiences, pain, and hope for the future. Watch the interviews »

Learn about the Regional Program in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone »

Building Resilient Health Systems

Photo of Referral Coordinator Nandy Fofana participates in a consultation with an Ebola survivor and his doctor (click to visit webpage).

Focus on Stronger Health Systems Improves Services for the Most Vulnerable: Pregnant Women, Children Under-5, Lactating Mothers, and Ebola Survivors in Sierra Leone

Ebola survivors are often in need of specialty health services that cannot be provided at the local level. Read more »
 

Voices of Resilience and Recovery

Cover image of the storybook (click to download PDF, 8.4 MB).

Stories of Survival from Sierra Leone

This booklet (PDF, 8.4 MB) showcases personal stories of change and growth that demonstrate how USAID’s Advancing Partners & Communities project support benefited the people and health system in Sierra Leone.

Photos from Sierra Leone


News from Sierra Leone

2018

March 08, 2018 | Blog

Advancing Partners & Communities has supported the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and other partners to build the capacity of the public health system in Sierra Leone to provide evidence-based mental health services.

February 07, 2018 | Article

In order to support the mental health needs of those affected by the mudslide in Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the World Health Organization with funding from the UK Government, JSI and USAID quickly deployed Mental Health Nurses pulled from other parts of the country to provide urgent Psychological First Aid, focusing initially on psychosocial and trauma counselling.

January 19, 2018 | Article

Sorie Samura is one of less than 70 health workers who contracted Ebola and survived. He is now back in active service working as a Referral Coordinator for King’s Sierra Leone Partnership at Connaught Hospital in Freetown, the largest government hospital in Sierra Leone and its main teaching and referral hospital.

2017

October 12, 2017 | Announcement

On September 7-9, 2017, the West African Clinical Research Consortium (WAC), in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health and the Advancing Partners & Communities project, hosted over 150 West African and international scientists, clinicians, researchers, policy makers, and other stakeholders at a conference in Guinea’s capital, Conakry.

October 11, 2017 | Blog

On Aug. 14, Freetown was struck by a mudslide and flash flooding that cost the lives of nearly 500 people. It affected almost 6,000 people living primarily in five of the most hard-hit communities and left hundreds missing.