The Ministry of Health through the National AIDS Secretariat, has developed the Strategic Operational Plan for Condom Programming in Sierra Leone with a focus on reinvigorating condom use to ensure “uninterrupted access to male and female condoms and lubricants for Key Populations, young people an ... d the general population.” Condom use in the country was estimated at 7 per cent and 23 per cent of women and men respectively who had sexual intercourse with non-regular partners. The primary goal of the strategic operational plan is to enhance access and utilization of male and female condoms, supporting national efforts to reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, and unintended pregnancies, for all sexually active individuals. more

It is against this background that the Ministry of Health and Sanitation with its partners have taken the lead to develop Essential Health Services Package (EHSP). The MOHS believes that the development of EHSP; defining the services that should be available at each level of care (community to ... tertiary level), for each age cohort, and across each public health functions, not only allows for more effective and equitable health service delivery, but also for the establishment of a functional referral system and allocation of appropriate investments for high impact interventions. The package is expected to set precedence in defining ‘essential’ set of services for the population in Sierra Leone, structurally promoting integration of health services, and providing succinct guidance to partners and stakeholders on the country priorities. more