UNICEF, UK Government Support Restoration of Makeni Baby Unit
UNICEF has provided medical equipment valued at approximately £32,000 to support the restoration of the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Makeni Regional Hospital following a recent fire that damaged the facility.
The equipment was handed over to the Ministry of Health through the Directorate of Reproductive and Child Health (RCH), with funding support from the United Kingdom Government through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The support is expected to help the hospital resume and strengthen specialised care for premature, low-birth-weight and critically ill newborns who require close medical attention.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, UNICEF Representative Mariko Kagoshima reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to working with the Government of Sierra Leone and other partners to improve newborn health services.
She stressed the importance of ensuring that every child gets a healthy start in life, particularly newborns who require specialised and lifesaving medical care.
The equipment comes as the Ministry of Health continues implementing its 300 Days of Activism and Triple Zero Campaign, which targets zero preventable maternal deaths, zero preventable child deaths and zero-dose children.
Strengthening newborn care remains a key part of these efforts, particularly for vulnerable babies who require timely access to specialised healthcare.
The Ministry of Health expressed appreciation to UNICEF and the UK Government, through FCDO, for the support, which is expected to contribute to the restoration of essential newborn services at Makeni Regional Hospital.
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