Saving Lives in Sierra Leone, Phase II

The programme’s purpose is to achieve a sustainable step change in health outcomes for under-fives, adolescents, pregnant women and mothers. It will contribute towards the Government of Sierra Leone’s (GOSL) targets; (1) A 25% reduction in neonatal and child mortality over the next five years by saving the lives of more than 22,000 children by 2021; (2) A 25% reduction in maternal mortality over the next five years by saving the lives of more than 2,000 women who would otherwise die due to pregnancy and childbirth related causes by 2021; (3) Increase the use of quality RMNCAH services to reduce maternal and child mortality/morbidity and teenage pregnancies; (4) Increase the use of contraception especially among adolescent girls by enabling more than 134,000 women and girls to use family planning; (5) Reduce the prevalence and improve the management of childhood illnesses through the provision of free quality primary health care services; and (6) Strengthen key health systems to underpin and sustain these health The NGO consortium will have one lead, four regional leads to support district based delivery and a limited number of specialist NGOs providing specific technical assistance (e.g. on supply chain, family planning, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, relevant health system building block). The lead NGO will sign an Accountable Grant (AG) with DFID and manage contributions from other NGOs.The NGO consortium will: (1) Provide technical, operational and management support to DHMTs to effectively and efficiently plan, manage and deliver quality RMNCAH services through district hospitals, PHUs and community network (2) Provide long and short term flexible and tailored technical assistance to DHMTs and district hospitals, (3) Help coordinate RMNCAH partners at district and centre (primarily the programme governance committees), (4) Assist to establish National Medical Supply Agency (NMSA) (5) Provide technical, operational and management support to the Directorate of Drugs and Medical Supply to manage storage and distribution until NMSA is functional. NGO partners will have a three month inception phase (October to December 2018) to allow set up and development, scrutiny and approval of districts delivery plan.