Medical Research Centre

Project Brief:

In 2007, Sierra Leone launched a new programme to tackle the high rate of maternal and infant/child mortality. As an integrated part of its health programme 2008-2011 and as a malaria component of the Schokland Agreement, Reduce Maternal Mortality, the MRC will focus on preventing, reducing and treating malaria in young children and pregnant women.

Activities
To this end, the MRC has taught medical staff how to prevent, recognize and treat malaria, and when to refer patients who are seriously ill. They have a standby ambulance that brings seriously ill patients to the hospital. They also supply clinics with mosquito nets, antimalarial drugs and medical instruments. MRC also organizes education for the communities on the prevention and early treatment of malaria and gives insecticide-treated mosquito nets to children and pregnant women.

Goals
This programme aims at reducing the number of malaria cases and deaths among young children and pregnant women. It also aims at increasing the capacity and improving the quality of the medical staff. Disseminating information at awareness raising meetings and via the radio ensures that the whole population is informed of the importance of preventing, diagnosing and treating malaria. Pregnant women are preventively treated for malaria and can lay their children to sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Moreover, the medical staff is able to make the right diagnosis and give each target group the right (preventive or treatment) drugs. They refer complex cases and make sure patients are brought to a hospital.

Photos: ©Arie Kievit

Project Report:

An interim report will be published in May 2010.