By Ibrahim S. Bangura
Freetown, July 18, 2025 — The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sierra Leone has officially launched its 8th Country Programme Document (CPD) for 2025–2030, setting an ambitious roadmap to improve reproductive health, promote gender equality, and empower youth across Sierra Leone.
The announcement was made during a media dissemination event in Freetown, where senior editors, journalists, and development partners gathered to review the new strategic framework and reflect on key achievements captured in the agency’s 2024 Annual Report.
Delivering the keynote address, Hon. Kenya Barley, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, hailed the CPD launch as “a renewed call to action,” aligning with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024–2030). She emphasized the programme’s focus on four strategic areas: health systems, demographic transition, robust data systems, and gender equality.
UNFPA Officer-in-Charge Ms Sibeso Mululuma outlined the CPD’s three transformative goals:
- Ending Preventable Maternal Deaths: Strengthening emergency obstetric care and scaling up midwife training.
- Ending Unmet Need for Family Planning: Expanding youth-friendly services and combating misinformation.
- Ending Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices: Supporting legal reform, survivor care, and community mobilization.
She stressed the vital role of the media in advancing these objectives, pledging deeper collaboration with journalists to combat harmful norms and share life-saving information.
Commitment to Equity and Empowerment
Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs Hon. Dr. Isata Mahoi described the CPD as a reaffirmation of Sierra Leone’s collective responsibility to improve lives. She applauded UNFPA’s advocacy and support for inclusive policies, such as the Radical Inclusion Policy and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, highlighting gains in women’s leadership and youth participation.
Progress Under 2020–2024 Programme
UNFPA Sierra Leone’s 2024 Annual Report celebrates substantial impact under the outgoing CPD:
| Key Achievements | Highlights |
| Midwifery Training: | Over 480 students trained; 283 qualified midwives graduated |
| Fistula Care: | 200 women received surgical repairs and reintegration support |
| Maternal Health: | EmONC training for 300 healthcare workers in 34 facilities |
| Digital Health: | 11,000+ pregnancies registered via PreSTrack app |
| Contraceptive Access: | $1.4M in supplies delivered, preventing 230,000 unintended pregnancies |
| Family Planning Uptake: | 15% rise in modern contraception demand since 2012 |
| Ending Harmful Practices: | 44 communities enacted bylaws against child marriage |
| GBV Survivor Support: | 552 survivors reached via 7 One Stop Centres |
| Education Access: | 4,300 girls reintegrated into formal schooling |
| Youth Advocacy: | 40 young women empowered through innovation platforms |
| Menstrual Health: | School outreach and training on reusable pads |
| Substance Abuse: | Rehabilitation and educational reintegration for affected youth |
UNFPA expert Gamachis Shongo emphasized that reliable supply chains and strong government leadership are key to reaching underserved communities. “It’s not just about the supplies—it’s about delivery to the last mile,” he said.
Looking Ahead
The CPD promises to build resilient, inclusive, and locally driven systems, involving extensive consultations with government ministries, civil society, youth networks, persons with disabilities, and traditional leaders.
The new strategy envisions a Sierra Leone where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person can thrive. With partnership at its core, the initiative is expected to drive impactful, rights-based development that leaves no one behind.