Sierra Leone Community Public Health

Initiative Network Website Template

1. Introduction
By improving the health of the people of Kono district, we hope that their quality of
life and productivity will increase. This will, in turn, lead to further development and
sustainability of health. This positive change in the health culture, knowledge, and
practices in Kono will improve the health of future generations.

The aim of the network is to support the development and sustainability of an

efficient, effective, and altruistic health culture while maintaining the identity of
leadership and ownership within the community. We work to achieve this by
focusing first on health knowledge and implementation at the individual and family
level, and then by providing community leaders with the tools and knowledge
needed to change community health at a policy level. We seek to prevent illness and
decrease the burden of prevalent diseases in the community. While we realize we
cannot change the entire sociocultural context of health and illness in Kono, we hope
to at least lessen the impact of negative cultural practices on health and work
towards creating a supportive sociocultural environment for those affected by
illness.

The Sierra Leone Community Public Health Initiative Network (SLCPHIN) is a

collaboration of UK and Sierra Leonean health workers, teachers, students, and
community members who are fighting to improve the health and livelihood of the
people of the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Founded in 2007, this network grew
out of the sense of outrage generated by the extremely high rate of maternal and
infant mortality in Kono District, and the understanding that this was only a
symptom of a larger problem with the lack of adequate health care and health
education in the community.

1.1. About the Sierra Leone Community Public Health Initiative Network
The Sierra Leone Community Public Health Initiative Network (SLCPHIN) is a non-
profit, non-political, and non-sectarian community-based organization. It was
established in 2007 and is registered in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. The
organization was created out of the desire to contribute to the empowerment of the
underprivileged population in Sierra Leone. SLCPHIN envisions a Sierra Leone
society free from preventable diseases and improved quality of life. This can only be
achieved if preventive health care is made easily accessible to everyone. Therefore,
the organization is driven to use community-based approaches in addressing the
health care issues in the country. In order for it to effectively empower
underprivileged communities in Sierra Leone, SLCPHIN decided that it would create
a community-based organization (CBO) to ensure active participation of all
beneficiaries in the decision-making processes regarding their health and the
services they receive. This approach is also intended to provide a solid foundation
for genuine and sustained partnership between communities and the organization.
In the future, the organization aims to expand its services to other neighboring and
underprivileged communities throughout the nation.

1.2. Mission and Vision

The mission of SLC-PHIN is "to build the capacity of communities to improve public
health through high impact, sustainable, evidence-based interventions that are
tailored to the unique needs of underserved populations." This mission is consistent
with the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986), which calls for community
participation and empowerment to enable greater control over the determinants of
health and thereby achieving greater equity in health within and between
populations. SLC-CPHIN's primary vehicle for addressing this mission is to provide
West African communities with the necessary tools and resources to enable them to
take control of their health and reduce health disparities. By focusing on capacity
building and facilitating community empowerment, SLC-CPHIN aims to bridge the
gap between knowledge and practice in the field of global health by translating
academic research on effective interventions and best practices into practical
strategies that can be implemented by communities in a culturally sensitive and
sustainable manner. The vision of SLC-CPHIN is a world in which all communities
and populations have an equal opportunity to achieve the highest standards of
health. A world where health disparities are minimized and every person can lead a
healthy and fulfilling life, regardless of their social or economic standing. A world in
which public health resources are allocated not according to political or social
power, but based on the needs of the population. To move towards this vision, SLC-
CPHIN seeks to stimulate policy and systems changes by targeting the relationships
between different levels of community and encouraging partnerships to work
towards common goals for health.

1.3. Objectives
Promote health and prevent disease. To provide a forum for the community to
identify, discuss, and prioritize the health concerns of Sierra Leoneans. Develop
strategies and activities which address these concerns, with the active participation
of relevant sectors of the community. Strengthen the capacity of the health system.
To enhance the overall management and stewardship of the health system, and
improve the coordination, quality and sustainability of service delivery. This will
involve support for specific program initiatives, the development of local and
international institutional linkages, and the production and dissemination of policy
relevant health research. Disadvantaged populations to identify and solve their own
health problems. To work within communities, and with their leaders and
representative organizations, to identify and help address their major health
problems. Special effort will be made to ensure that disadvantaged women and men
have equal opportunities to benefit from our work, and all our activities will focus
on empowering people in ways that are inclusive and sustainable.

1.4. Target Audience

This website is created to enable those interested in knowing what is happening in
CHI to share, contribute, and keep themselves informed about our progress. We are
hopeful that this will serve as a forum where individuals can learn from one
another, generate new ideas, and possibly collaborate on future ventures. It is also
for those in Sierra Leone, particularly in the CHI communities. We are very much in
the formative stages of this network and have a lot of nurturing to do in order to get
it to where we would like it to be. Change is a slow process, but connecting with
others who have similar interests and share common concerns is the first step.
Patience is a necessary ingredient. As strong believers in the power of knowledge,
we are targeting those who are eager to both learn and teach. We strongly support
student involvement and believe that students, whether in high school or in higher
education, can be both beneficiaries and contributors to this network. Our research
initiatives will involve both students and educators. And it is a network for those
who care about the health and well-being of humankind, especially as it pertains to
our brothers and sisters in other nations who are less fortunate. Now let's talk nitty-
gritty. CHI is a public health and community-based initiative. Thus, naturally, our
network is intended for those who are or have been involved in or have some
interest in these areas. This might include public health professionals, community
health workers, or individuals working within communities to promote health
related knowledge and behaviour change. Our research and available resources are
going to cater to those in the medical and health education fields. Last but not least,
this is for Sierra Leoneans and friends of Sierra Leone. We would like to make the
country's name the first word in the title of this initiative. While global health is an
important and relevant issue in today's world, it is far too often that the health of
people in these types of countries is put on the backburner. This initiative is to help
improve the health of the people in Sierra Leone and this network will serve as an
approach to accomplishing that goal.
2. Programs and Services
Disease Prevention and Control: SLCPHIN recognizes that Sierra Leone faces a great
number of largely preventable diseases. Our aim is to prevent and control the
spread of diseases through working together with communities and the local health
system. SLCPHIN hopes to provide communities with the knowledge and means to
control the spread of diseases and ultimately reduce the burden of illness. This will
involve work in health education and health promotion as well as helping
communities to develop the necessary tools to take preventative action with the
resources available to them.

Health Education and Awareness: SLCPHIN strongly believes that it is essential to

develop a foundation of knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes in individuals
concerning their health and the health of the community. As a result, SLCPHIN is
committed to providing health education, health promotion, and community
mobilization with a special focus on resource-poor communities both in Sierra
Leone and the United States. Through health education and health promotion,
people are more able to make changes in their environment and have an increased
control over their own lives and health. By focusing on prevention, SLCPHIN will
work with communities to help reduce morbidity and mortality caused by the
targeted health issue.

2.1. Health Education and Awareness

A simple explanation was given using an empty water bottle with a pinhole and a
flame inside to represent asthmatic lungs and the fire as an asthma attack. This
demonstration was successful in imparting knowledge upon Fatmata and her family.
Asthma educational pamphlets from Medline Plus were also provided for Fatmata
and her family as an additional teaching tool used to increase their asthma-related
health knowledge. The final strategy utilized an asthma diary which Fatmata could
use to record any symptoms and discuss them with her healthcare provider. These
strategies were effective in increasing knowledge and understanding of asthma and
its effects on Fatmata, but they were not helpful in engaging the community.

Health education is significant and indispensable for our communities. It increases

knowledge, changes attitudes, and aids in the reduction of disease or injury. Health
education is a tool that helps improve health in a significant way. It is often
overlooked, but health education is vitally important and is a very powerful tool in
prevention and healthy living. Health education builds knowledge and strengthens
and develops support for healthy living. It involves and engages individuals and
communities in an attempt to make informed decisions about their health. The
Sierra Leone Public Health Initiative (SLCPHI) has employed a number of health
education strategies. The first of which was combatting Fatmata's asthma. This was
done through a series of home visits in which the primary healthcare provider
educated Fatmata and her family about the nature of asthma and how it can be
controlled.

2.2. Disease Prevention and Control

Immunization is one of the most successful and cost-effective public health
interventions. We aim to provide universal access to immunization for children and
at-risk adults against vaccine-preventable diseases. This will be achieved through
promotion of the benefits of immunization and support of national immunization
days and child health clinics. Additionally, we will support the National Expanded
Program of Immunization through training of staff and provision of essential
equipment and supplies.

In order to keep infectious diseases a priority in Sierra Leone, we are involved in

ongoing awareness and education activities. We realize that education is an
empowering tool that raises awareness and understanding at a community and
individual level about the risk of infection and the measures that can be taken to
provide an enhanced quality of health. This can be accomplished through one-on-
one teaching, community seminars, and information campaigns using mass media.
Education will be directed towards both the public and healthcare professionals.

Prevention of infections and disease is a vital aspect of public health as it reduces

the burden of disease and associated healthcare costs. Our organization aims to
prevent disease through awareness and education activities, promotion of
immunization, control of communicable diseases, and emergency preparedness. We
seek to provide a secure environment that will enable people to live free from the
threat of infections and emerging and re-emerging diseases. By identifying where
people are most at risk of these problems, we can target our interventions to have
the greatest impact.

2.3. Healthcare Access and Support

Community Public Health Initiative directs to increase access to primary health care
services through a Community Based Referral System with the aim of strengthening
the relationship between the community and health facilities in addition to fostering
sustainability. The Referral System targets several areas that were heavily affected
by the war including: Hastings, Waterloo, Calaba Town, Lumley, and Jui. Among
many varied activities, a network of strong Community Health Workers and
Traditional Birth Attendants are being trained to implement the CBR. This network
collaborates with existing government health structures to provide the most
appropriate health care. High-risk pregnant women are being targeted as a special
focus, to help reduce the high maternal mortality rate. This also encompasses
greater access to specific health needs, such as providing referrals for psychiatric
cases to receive free services and follow-up from the Wellbody Alliance NGO.
Currently, the Ebola referral system is under development to deal with the current
Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone to help reduce transmission of the virus by rapidly
referring and transferring potential Ebola patients to the Ebola holding and
treatment centers closest to them. This will involve training of 200 CHWs to conduct
house-to-house sensitization and active case finding as well as a line list for
monitoring and referring suspected cases. Also CPDI under Don Bosco Fambul has
been involved with a child protection network for case management and referral of
vulnerable children to appropriate services. This encompasses child protection
sensitization of CHWs and stakeholders in communities and the setting up of child
protection committees in various sections in the community.

2.4. Community Engagement and Empowerment

CLINIC4 is an organizing framework designed to link community organizing and
health improvement. It helps health professionals and community organizers work
together to achieve common goals. It provides an organized and logical approach to
solving problems. The CLINIC4 model itself is a form of partnership. It brings people
together – usually from a wide range of organizations – to work in a structured way
to address issues that affect their communities. Usually, the goal is to improve some
facet of community health or the healthcare system. CLINIC4 helps partners to think
through what they are trying to achieve and why. This means clearly defining the
problem they want to address, then looking at the factors that contribute to it. The
idea is to focus on things that can be changed and that are relevant to the needs of
the community. This ensures that action is well-targeted and not wasted on things
that won't make a real difference. The model helps to avoid the common mistake of
jumping to conclusions about the best solution without taking time to consider what
the real causes of the problem are. By encouraging a systematic and thorough
analysis of the problem, CLINIC4 helps partners to reach a shared understanding of
the issues and their underlying causes. This sets the scene for generating realistic
and sustainable solutions.

Community engagement and empowerment is the cornerstone of SLCPHIN's

community-based approach to improving public health. It is based on the primary
principle that those who are most affected by a health issue should be involved in
the planning, development, and implementation of programs to address that issue.
Community engagement has been used as an effectual tool in moving communities
and individuals towards a state of health and wellbeing. Community engagement
seeks to create a strong and lasting relationship with the community and its
members in having them become more involved in the decision-making process in
regards to public health and wellbeing.

2.5. Research and Advocacy

With this in mind, SLCPHIN has a program that offers paid internship opportunities
for graduate-level students of public health and social work with specific interests in
research and advocacy. In a mentored setting, students will have the opportunity to
gain field-specific skills and knowledge. This program will also engage students in
the research and inquiry of current and pertinent health issues of the Sierra
Leonean community.

Advocacy is the act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause,

idea, or policy. Advocacy can be conducted in the best interest of the individual,
community, group, or organization. Given the history of political unrest and
economic deprivation in Sierra Leone, SLCPHIN has devoted a full-fledged Advocacy
Program to addressing the systemic and institutional problems affecting the health
of the Sierra Leonean community. The goals of the Advocacy Program are to
improve public awareness, promote policy change, and encourage legislation in such
a manner that would advance the health interests of the Sierra Leonean community.

Research is a reliable means of obtaining and applying knowledge that is versatile

and could be used at any level of the community. It also promotes evidence-based
practice and policy, improves the quality of programs and services, and further
fosters collaboration between communities and institutions. SLCPHIN's strong team
of researchers representing different facets of the community to engage in research
that is community-based and geared towards providing solutions for health
disparities in the Sierra Leonean community. Our research is focused on identifying
community needs, fostering capacity, and building collaboration that will have a
positive impact on the health and well-being of the Sierra Leonean community.

3. Get Involved
3.1. Volunteer Opportunities

3.2. Donation Options

3.3. Fundraising Events

4. Contact Us
Social Media Presence The SLCPHIN is an organization specializing in public health,
a cause which has generated high amounts of interest globally. Popular social media
networks like Facebook and Twitter have been utilized to network with other
organizations and individuals with similar interests and effectively share and
disseminate public health information. In the age of globalization, SLCPHIN believes
that networking through social media can be an effective method of receiving and
sharing information with multiple international organizations and individuals.
These networking opportunities can potentially lead to collaborative partnerships,
and knowledge and skill exchange programs. As such, links to the SLCPHIN
Facebook and Twitter pages are provided on the Social Media Presence page.

Office Location This page simply provides a link to Google Maps, and the physical
address of the SLCPHIN administrative office.

Contact Information The contact page provides an email link which delivers an
automatic email to our contact person. A list of primary and secondary contact
persons including their respective contact information is also provided in the case
the inquirer prefers making immediate contact with one of the staff members. This
information will be utilized to establish a newsletter list, which will be used for
information dissemination for persons opting to receive updates from SLCPHIN.
Email and/or phone communications are the most preferred methods for contact.

4.1. Contact Information

Unfortunately, in this day and age, too many phone numbers get lost or discarded,
and unreliable phone lines and bad cell phone connections make it difficult to share
this information over the phone. So we have made an effort to list as many contact
numbers, Facebook information or email addresses to best suit everyone's needs.
Whether you are a Sierra Leonean living in a rural village in need of healthcare
information and assistance, you can use the SLCPHIN district contact information. If
you are an international non-governmental organization interested in collaborating
with us, you can contact the Executive Director. If you are in need of immediate
contact with a well-coordinated health information system, you can phone any
member of the IT team. If there are any other inquiries or you are not sure who to
contact, feel free to phone the general enquiries line or use the provided contact
form.

As much communication and information sharing is needed to help improve public

healthcare in Sierra Leone, it is important to us that you can find the information
you need to reach out to us in case you have any problems, comments or concerns
or are interested in participating.
4.2. Office Location
After giving up the building at Magburaka Road, the network is now situated in the
central hub of the city. This location would make for easier nationwide coverage,
being that transportation from Freetown to any part of the country is possible in a
day.

When the war ended, the network's office was located at 21 Magburaka Road, but
due to an EU infrastructure development in the area, the offices were reinstituted
for a short-term period at the Connaught Hospital and then relocated to the
network's current location. With assistance from the Anglican Church, the network
was able to receive a building to use rent-free for 5 years. This building is not in its
best condition, but with assistance, the network will be able to improve it and most
probably find an even better location in the nearest future. We are in a good
location, no noise and no disturbances, yet our most dire issue is electricity and
water.

The network is situated opposite Connaught Hospital off East Street, which leads to
RSL Bank. To break it down, follow East Street until you reach a stadium well known
as YAMBA chief compound, within which lies the prestigious residence of the
country director of WHO. Follow the path to the right of the gate and you will see the
signboard of the network. Segment with further explanation given below. This is the
location of the office (Lat: 8°29'13.6?N: Long: 13°17'58.5?W). Using a global
positioning system, Sierra Leone Community Public Health Initiative is located at
the heart of Freetown, a 10-minute walking journey from the East End Police
Station.

4.3. Social Media Presence

Social media is a collection of online communication channels that comprise
dedicated conversations, community input, content sharing, and joint venture.
There are several types of social media, but the main ones are Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. These give companies the opportunity to
reach the global community, regardless of the location. This is a free way to reach
millions of people, all that is required is an internet connection. Social media has a
bigger impact on business aid and market access because 3.3 billion people use
social media. Its effectiveness is so grand that companies easily reach the global
market. This gives the company the potential to increase its market. Because it's
cost-effective, it's suitable for newly formed companies which are still under
operations and wish to improve their product. Compared to other methods of
market access, social media has the least expenses. Therefore, its cost-effectiveness
is beneficial for the company and it becomes even cheaper when companies use free
social media applications to improve product awareness because the only expense
being paid is for the service or product being marketed. Although it has its
advantages, social media relies on fast-moving technology, with applications today,
maybe irrelevant tomorrow. This forces companies to keep track of the latest
updates and trends. Adapting to the latest trends also means that the company
appears to be more modern and in line with new generations, which can expand the
market even further.