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Sierra Leone

UNICEF Sierra Leone COVID-19 Situation Report No 9, 1 – 30 September 2020

Attachments

Situation Overview

Sierra Leone has seen a downward trend in the number of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases during the reporting period.

Total number of daily tests conducted meanwhile have increased over the same period. Cumulative number of tests conducted is 41,128 (5.37/1,000 population) with an average positivity rate of 5.4%.

The overall case fatality rate remains at 3.2% with 72 reported deaths (67% male, 33% female). The median age of all positive cases is 33 years whereas the median age of fatalities is 58 years.
CFR increases with age reaching 19.3% over 60 years of age.

All 16 districts in Sierra Leone have reported cases; greatest attack rates remain in Western Area Urban and Western Area Rural (combined 59.7% of all cases), as well as Bonthe, Bo, Kenema and Port Loko.

UNICEF September Highlights

 Over 14,000 Community Health Workers (CHWs) nationwide have been trained and equipped with necessary knowledge and skills to integrate COVID-19 sensitization messages into routine interactions and the communitybased service package, including community surveillance, preventive, promotive and basic curative services.

 UNICEF distributed 2,322 handwashing stations to benefit approximately 540,000 students and 15,350 teachers in 1,154 schools in eight of the most COVID-affected districts in preparation for schools reopening.

 Building on the UNICEF-funded training of 908 Master Trainers for Safe School Protocols and Basic Psychosocial Support for Education conducted in July, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) conducted a two-day roll out training of the same for approximately 24,000 teachers at the district level.

 A total of 9,687 individuals have received psychosocial support (PSS) and an additional 3,401 people were reached with PSS messaging during the reporting period.

 Analysis of data from the telephone survey measuring socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on households is ongoing and will provide data on households’ access to social services such as health and water, children’s education, livelihoods and more.

 UNICEF and the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL) have also renewed their collaboration for the mobilization of a network of 4,000 religious leaders across all 16 districts in support of maintenance of COVID-19 prevention and health seeking and care behaviours.