A new UNICEF report reveals that health insurance coverage for children under five in Sierra Leone is just 3.9%, and only 1.8% for those aged 5 to 17. This highlights ongoing issues in the healthcare system, including a shortage of skilled health workers, inadequate funding, limited access to medicines, and insufficient diagnostic facilities.
Despite these challenges, Sierra Leone has made progress in reducing under-five and maternal mortality rates over the past decade. However, the risk of death among these groups remains high, raising concerns about meeting the Sustainable Development Goal 3 targets by 2030.
The report notes a significant reduction in the under-five mortality rate, from 154.5 to 104.7 deaths per 1,000 live births between 2011 and 2021, with a further decrease to 101 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022.
qHowever, the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey estimated this rate at 122 deaths per 1,000 births, highlighting the challenges in achieving the global target of 25 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030.
