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Mercy Ships signs agreements to return to Sierra Leone in future

Announcement posted by Mercy Ships Australia 03 Jun 2019

Government of Sierra Leone renews partnership with hospital ship charity to strengthen surgical care

Freetown, Sierra Leone, 31 May 2019: During an audience with His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone this week , the government and charity Mercy Ships signed both an Accord De Siege and a Protocol Agreement which begins a fresh working partnership based on a country engagement plan for 2019-2023.

The country engagement plan, which begins with a protocol signing, initiates a period of assessment, then a 10-month surgical ship deployment which will include provision of free surgical and dental care in partnership with local institutions for training of health care workers, followed by additional support after the ship’s departure and, lastly, impact evaluation.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Sierra Leone I wish to express profound gratitude to Mercy Ships for their continuous humanitarian and medical supports towards providing treatment to people with various medical conditions,” stated Dr. Anthony Sandy Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation.

These agreements pave the way for necessary collaboration in-country to begin assessment and design of programs as well as arrangements for port, security, water and sanitation necessary for a future port visit. In addition to providing surgical services, the hospital ship will serve as a platform for training West African health care professionals. The programs ensure that the positive impact of Mercy Ships will continue long after the ship leaves Sierra Leone.

Mercy Ships CEO Donovan Palmer highlighted the partnership aspect with the government of Sierra Leone.  He stated, “We are excited to confirm that we are in the early stages of planning a future return to Sierra Leone, which will be our sixth field service (1) working in this nation and our first since the Ebola crisis. Now that agreements are signed, we begin the important process of assessing the needs that exist and how we can best assist to deliver hope and healing to those in tremendous need of care.” 

Specifically, these agreements will allow Sierra Leoneans to benefit from the specialised surgical services of the hospital ship and training of West African medical professionals to build capacity. With its crew of surgeons,  nurses and other professionals from around the world who volunteer their services on the hospital ship, Mercy Ships will make investments in local health care facilities and  provide continuing education for local professionals, mentoring in such fields as maxillofacial surgery techniques, orthopaedic trauma, nursing, paediatric anaesthesia and infection control. The partnership will focus on improving quality of care and communication.

Sierra Leone is a rapidly growing country with an estimated population of 7.88 million, up from 5.5 million in 2008.(2) Sierra Leone is positioned at 84 out of 189 countries and territories in the Human Development Index, which Mercy Ships uses to assess areas of need for service. Sierra Leone’s life expectancy at birth increased by 14.9 years although the nation’s GNI per capita decreased by about 18.2 percent during the same time.(3)

Improvements have been made in health care, despite the direct and indirect disruption to services during the two-year Ebola epidemic that began in 2014. The crisis resulted in more than 30,000 reported cases and 11,000 deaths throughout Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, where Mercy Ships is currently wrapping up a field service.

All Mercy Ships services are provided free of charge, thanks to donors around the world in their support of the volunteer professionals on board the Africa Mercy and the nations they serve.  The Africa Mercy is currently scheduled to arrive in Dakar, Senegal for 10 months from mid-August this year.  

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1. Past Freetown, Sierra Leone port visits by Mercy Ships:  27 Feb 2011 - 10 Dec 2011; 01-Mar 2004 – 28 May 2004: 17 Nov 2003 – 14 Feb 2004; 9 Nov 2002 – 21 Feb 2003;  23 Nov 2001 – 14 Mar 2002

2. (Source: http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/sierra-leone-population/)

3. (Source: UNDPR http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/SLE.pdf)

About Mercy Ships

Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free, world-class health care services, capacity building and sustainable development aid to those without access in the developing world. Founded in 1978, Mercy Ships has worked in 56 countries providing services valued at more than $1.53 billion, with more than 2.6 million direct beneficiaries.

Each year, more than 1,200 volunteers from over 40 nations serve with Mercy Ships. Professionals including surgeons, dentists, nurses, health care trainers, teachers, cooks, seamen, engineers, and agriculturalists donate their time and skills to the effort. Mercy Ships seeks to transform individuals and serve nations one at a time. Mercy Ships Australia is based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. For more information, visit www.mercyships.org.au

Notes to Editors

High resolution photos are available, with attribution to Mercy Ships.

For more information, please contact:

Melissa Mason
Mercy Ships Australia
(07) 5437 2992
melissa.mason@mercyships.org