Currently not active, this project ended for Curamericas in 2016.

Project Overview

Sierra Leone is one of the many locations where Curamericas Global partnered with underserved communities to make measurable and sustainable improvements in their health and wellbeing.

On July 1, 2015 Curamericas Global began the Kuimei Project in Bo District, Sierra Leone to reduce maternal and child mortality rates in the region. The Kuimei Project derives its name from the indigenous language Mende. Kuimei translates to ‘mother’ and is symbolic of a provider or caretaker in the community.

Curamericas Global’s Strategy

The project used Curamericas’ signature Community-Based, Impact-Oriented approach to build a sustainable, effective health care programs that empower communities to save the lives of mothers and children.  The project utilized Mercy Hospital’s existing infrastructure and train local primary health care teams, Community Health Workers, trained traditional midwives, and Care Group Volunteers to address issues of access, availability, and quality of health care in the region in order to better serve the people of Bo District.

Project Partners

Curamericas worked closely with Mercy Hospital, who is the implementing partner for the project. The Sierra Leone Annual Conference oversees Mercy Hospital and plays a critical role in the hospital’s operations and outreach programs.  Other stakeholders  include Helping Children Worldwide and the General Board of Global Ministries.

Project Area

Sierra Leone has some of the poorest health indicators in the world.  The nation was left with weak health infrastructure after an 11-year civil war, a problem recently compounded by the Ebola epidemic.  The project will take place in Bo District, located in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone.  The district is the second most populous district in the country and is in critical need of community health facilities.

Bo District, Sierra Leone

While there has been a steady decline in child mortality, Sierra Leone still ranks 2nd globally for under-5 mortality¹.  The main causes of under-5 deaths include diarrheal disease, malaria, pneumonia, preterm complications, sepsis, and malnutrition ².  Women have a 1 in 23 chance of dying from pregnancy related complications in their lifetime, mainly due to hemorrhaging, hypertension, and sepsis².  As of 2010, only 63% of live births were attended by a skilled health professional².

For more information about our work in Sierra Leone, please contact us toll-free at (877)510-4787 or email our office at [email protected].

References

¹UNICEF 2015 State of the World’s Children Country Statistical Information http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/sierraleone_statistics.html

² Countdown to 2015 Maternal, Newborn, & Child Survival, The 2014 Report   http://www.countdown2015mnch.org/documents/2014Report/SierraLeone_Country_Profile_2014.pdf