China, Ministry of Health and UNICEF Launch Partnership to Improve Newborn and Child Health in Sierra Leone

Freetown, Sierra Leone – The Government of China, through the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), the Ministry of Health, and UNICEF today launched a partnership aimed at strengthening newborn and child health services across Sierra Leone. The collaboration seeks to address critical gaps in care and accelerate progress in reducing preventable deaths among newborns and young children.

Despite recent gains, Sierra Leone continues to face high child mortality, with pneumonia, malaria, diarrhoeal disease, and complications during the neonatal period remaining leading causes of death. The programme addresses these challenges by reinforcing frontline health services and improving access to quality care for children and families, particularly in underserved communities.

Supported through China’s Global Development and South–South Cooperation Fund, the collaboration is expected to directly benefit nearly 400,000 children and indirectly reach more than 1.1 million people through stronger, more resilient health systems nationwide.

Known as Accelerating Newborn and Child Health in Sierra Leone for Improved Survival and Well‑being, the programme focuses on practical improvements that make a real difference for families. These include equipping nearly 1,000 health workers and community health workers to deliver quality care, upgrading more than 80 health facilities with essential medicines, equipment, and reliable solar power, and strengthening health information systems and referral pathways to ensure continuity of care beyond the health facility.

Launched during today’s event, the effort highlights a central truth: lasting progress in child survival depends on investing in people. By supporting health workers at both community and facility levels, it aims to ensure children receive the care they need, when and where it matters most.

As part of the launch, partners also marked the start of the fourth cohort of the Post‑Basic Certificate in Neonatal Nursing programme. This is a key component of the overall programme and represents an important investment in Sierra Leone’s specialised nursing workforce and in the future of care for newborns, particularly during the most vulnerable first days of life.

This launch marks the Sierra Leone–level implementation of an agreement between UNICEF and the China International Development Cooperation Agency that was formally signed in Beijing in November 2025. Aligned with national health priorities, the programme supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals and is fully integrated into UNICEF Sierra Leone’s 2025–2030 Country Programme, reinforcing UNICEF’s commitment to ensuring every child survives and thrives.