Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Quraish Sserwanja, Ivan Mufumba, Kassim Kamara, Milton W. Musaba
Summary: Understanding the specific factors related to skilled birth attendance (SBA) in rural and urban contexts is important for designing relevant strategies and programs. In Sierra Leone, SBA was higher in urban areas, with factors such as education level, exposure to mass media, and distance to the nearest health facility associated with higher odds of SBA. In rural areas, women living in the Southern, Northern, and Eastern regions, with higher education, exposure to mass media, and no difficulties with distance to the nearest health facility had higher odds of SBA.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Richard A. Marcantonio, Sean P. Field, Papanie Bai Sesay, Gary A. Lamberti
Summary: Water pollution causes more than two million deaths annually, with a higher mortality rate in developing countries. Research in Sierra Leone found that people living along the Pampana River face significantly elevated health risks due to metal contamination, especially during the wet season and in close proximity to mining areas.
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Shona J. Lee, Eva Vernooij, Luisa Enria, Ann H. Kelly, James Rogers, Rashid Ansumana, Mahmood H. Bangura, Shelley Lees, Alice Street
Summary: This paper examines the experiences of health workers in Sierra Leone in the areas of vaccine trials and laboratory strengthening, in order to reflect on their role in epidemic response models. The research highlights the importance of building and maintaining social and moral relationships in order to sustain robust response infrastructures. It emphasizes the need to prioritize the safety and support of frontline workers, and advocates for a rethinking of human resources from an anthropological perspective.
GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nicholas Paul Oliphant, Nicolas Ray, Andrew Curtis, Elizabeth Musa, Momodu Sesay, Joseph Kandeh, Anitta Kamara, Kebir Hassen, Shane O'Connor, Yuki Suehiro, Hailemariam Legesse, Ebeny Francois Temgbait Chimoun, Debra Jackson, Tanya Doherty
Summary: Little is known about strategies for optimizing the scale and deployment of community health workers to improve geographic accessibility of primary healthcare services. The study uses data from Sierra Leone to explore the optimization of the scale and deployment of community health workers, providing insights for current policy and future plans.
Article
Development Studies
Yohan Renard
Summary: Despite progress, maternal and child mortality rates remain high globally. The removal of user fees in Zambia led to an increase in medical facility usage and skilled birth attendant assistance. However, these positive effects decreased with distance from health facilities.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Yen Tran, Jennie Jarrett, Scott Gardner, James Fernando, Mark Milliron, Lisa Hong
Summary: The study shows that education-focused mission trips in Sierra Leone seem to have long-lasting benefits and a positive impact on local staff, though improved intercultural competence is needed.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Manal Etemadi, Mohammad Hajizadeh
Summary: Removing user fees can reduce financial barriers for vulnerable populations, improving health outcomes and promoting health equity. However, in Iran, differences in financial support for user fee coverage have led to inequalities in access to healthcare services among the poor. Strategies such as basic health social insurance, free services for the poor outside of the insurance system, and complementary insurance mechanisms can help reduce user fees. Implementing a cohesive social assistance policy is necessary to address inequalities in user fee payment among the poor.
BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Eva Vernooij, Francess Koker, Alice Street
Summary: This paper examines the coordination of patient care in a public referral hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and shows that coordination work relies on frequent small interventions and improvisations by multiple individuals. The study argues that individualized responsibility for 'making the system work' is essential for temporary repair and care of the health system. Understanding how responsibility for system repair is distributed and valued is crucial for developing sustainable repair systems.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Juul Bakker, A. J. van Duinen, Wouter W. E. Nolet, Peter Mboma, Tamba Sam, Ankie van den Broek, Maaike Flinkenflogel, Andreas Gjora, Barbro Lindheim-Minde, Samuel Kamanda, Alimamy P. Koroma, H. A. Bolkan
Summary: Multiple factors affect the productivity of surgical providers in Sierra Leone, including economic constraints, lack of equipment and supplies, weak regulation, and shortage of surgical workforce. Broader nationwide health system strengthening, development of national strategies, reduction of financial barriers for patients, improvement of supply mechanisms, and expansion of training opportunities are essential to increase surgical capacity and meet surgical needs. Legal frameworks and appropriate remuneration are crucial for sustainability and retention of surgical health workers.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Stephen Sevalie, Daniel Youkee, A. J. van Duinen, Emma Bailey, Thaimu Bangura, Sowmya Mangipudi, Esther Mansaray, Maria Lisa Odland, Divya Parmar, Sorie Samura, Diede van Delft, Haja Wurie, Justine Davies, H. A. Bolkan, Andrew J. M. Leather
Summary: This study found that hospital admissions decreased significantly in Sierra Leone during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the largest decreases seen in surgical and medical admissions. However, maternity and paediatric admissions did not show significant change. Referrals in 2020 were lower in Q2 and Q3 compared with 2019, suggesting findings were unlikely to be seasonal. Supply-side factors such as prioritisation of essential services and introduction of COVID-19 services, as well as demand-side factors like fear of nosocomial infection and financial hardship were identified as reasons for the decrease in hospital utilisation.
Article
Health Policy & Services
Swapnil Gajendra Ghotane, Patric Don-Davis, David Kamara, Paul R. Harper, Stephen J. Challacombe, Jennifer E. Gallagher
Summary: The study reveals the significant workforce requirements needed to provide even basic oral health care to the population of Sierra Leone. There is a substantial gap between the current workforce and the oral health needs of the population, highlighting the need for urgent action. The study also illustrates the potential for utilizing contemporary epidemiological tools to predict dental treatment needs and guide workforce capacity building in low-income countries through various solutions involving mid-level providers and non-dental personnel.
HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marta Caviglia, Giovanni Putoto, Andrea Conti, Francesca Tognon, Amara Jambai, Matthew Jusu Vandy, Daniel Youkee, Riccardo Buson, Sara Pini, Paolo Rosi, Ives Hubloue, Francesco Della Corte, Luca Ragazzoni, Francesco Barone-Adesi
Summary: Sierra Leone launched its first National Emergency Medical Service (NEMS) in 2018 due to the high maternal and perinatal mortality rates. A national assessment was conducted, showing significant variation in operational times for obstetric emergencies across different districts. The study found that as operational times increased, so did the risk of maternal and perinatal mortality, highlighting the importance of timely access to essential surgery.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Charlotte Devon Hemingway, Mohamed Bella Jalloh, Richard Silumbe, Haja Wurie, Esther Mtumbuka, Samuel Nhiga, Abdallah Lusasi, Justin Pulford
Summary: This study examined four grantee programmes from Tanzania and Sierra Leone in partnership with Comic Relief and GlaxoSmithKline, finding that grantee organizations structured and operated their projects in a manner generally supportive of HSS objectives. Commonalities included using short-term funding for long-term initiatives, embedding in the local health system, donor flexibility, modest expectations, and micro-innovation.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mohamed F. Jalloh, Benjamin Hickler, Lauren E. Parmley, Roberta Sutton, Shibani Kulkarni, Anthony Mansaray, Oliver Eleeza, Palak Patel, Elisabeth Wilhelm, Laura Conklin, Adewale Akinjeji, Mame Toure, Brent Wolff, Dimitri Prybylski, Aaron S. Wallace, Maria Lahuerta
Summary: This paper discusses a novel framework developed to enhance vaccination uptake and provides practical guidance on understanding caregivers' lived experiences in accessing immunisation services for children. The framework draws from implementation experiences in Sierra Leone and aims to improve essential immunisation outcomes by focusing on the caregiver journey.
Article
Health Policy & Services
K. Megan Collier, Elizabeth K. Klein, Stephen Sevalie, Bailah Molleh, Yusuf Kabba, Abdulai Kargbo, Joseph Bangura, Henry Gbettu, Stewart Simms, Clara O'Leary, Stacy Drury, John S. Schieffelin, Theresa S. Betancourt, Thomas M. Crea
Summary: The 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak was the largest in history, resulting in approximately 11,000 deaths. This study explores the knowledge and beliefs about the disease among Ebola survivors and their families, emphasizing the importance of community-based public health responses.
JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Maria Paola Bertone, Mylene Lagarde, Sophie Witter
BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2016)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Maria Paola Bertone, Mylene Lagarde
HEALTH POLICY AND PLANNING
(2016)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Maria Paola Bertone, Gregoire Lurton, Paulin Beya Mutombo
HEALTH POLICY AND PLANNING
(2016)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sophie Witter, Maria Paola Bertone, Yotamu Chirwa, Justine Namakula, Sovannarith So, Haja R. Wurie
CONFLICT AND HEALTH
(2017)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria Paola Bertone, Jean-Benoit Falisse, Giuliano Russo, Sophie Witter
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Maria Paola Bertone, Eelco Jacobs, Jurrien Toonen, Ngozi Akwataghibe, Sophie Witter
CONFLICT AND HEALTH
(2018)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Maria Paola Bertone, Haja Wurie, Mohamed Samai, Sophie Witter
GLOBALIZATION AND HEALTH
(2018)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Maria Paola Bertone, Matthew Jowett, Elina Dale, Sophie Witter
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2019)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sophie Witter, Yotamu Chirwa, Pamela Chandiwana, Shungu Munyati, Mildred Pepukai, Maria Paola Bertone
GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND POLICY
(2019)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sophie Witter, Maria Paola Bertone, Justine Namakula, Pamela Chandiwana, Yotamu Chirwa, Aloysius Ssennyonjo, Freddie Ssengooba
GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND POLICY
(2019)
Article
Health Policy & Services
Maria Paola Bertone, Joao S. Martins, Sara M. Pereira, Tim Martineau, Alvaro Alonso-Garbayo
HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH
(2018)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Manuela De Allegri, Maria Paola Bertone, Shannon McMahon, Idrissou Mounpe Chare, Paul Jacob Robyn
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Matthieu Antony, Maria Paola Bertone, Olivier Barthes
BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2017)
Article
Health Policy & Services
Maria Paola Bertone, Sophie Witter
HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH
(2015)