CRIBS Dissemination Day in Freetown

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation, in partnership with the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) hosted a Capacity Research Innovation Building Maternal System (CRIBS) Dissemination Day, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 9th March 2023.

NIHR CRIBS Global Health Group is a collaboration between the University of Sierra Leone and King’s College London, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Lifeline Nehemiah and the National School of Midwifery, aimed at developing and implementing life-saving maternal health interventions and building research capacity in Sierra Leone.

The dissemination day was enthusiastically opened by Dr Tom Sesay, Minister of Reproductive and Child Health, who recognised the contribution the NIHR CRIBS Global Health Maternal Group has made to the positive reduction in maternal mortality in Sierra Leone.  He thanked Professor Sahr Gevao, who is the Sierra Leonean Co- Principal Investigator for CRIBS alongside Professor Andrew Shennan, for their contribution to this important initiative.  The participating audience of 85, which was surprisingly a larger turnout that anticipated, comprised of a mixture of programme managers, academics, (including visiting colleagues from Zambia from The Ministry of Health and University of Zambia), health workers of various cadres, CRIBS team members, and other NGO partners and collaborators.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The focus of the dissemination day was to  highlight and explore key killer causes for women and babies during pregnancy, to build research capacity and to assist health care workers in understanding what some of the problems are and to generate scientific knowledge and solutions to pre-eclampsia.  While the WHO has shown how maternal mortality in Sierra Leone is decreasing significantly, it is critical to ensure that pre-eclampsia is correctly recognised, diagnosed and treated by taking appropriate and prompt action before it is too late.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presentations by the UK and local team members covered feedback about each of the research projects, workstreams about project updates, lessons learnt and next steps.  Lively debate, discussions and questions were elicited by an enthusiastic and engaged audience.  The event addressed ways to improve collaboration with healthcare workers, educators, communities, and policy makers to understand and overcome the day-to-day barriers that women and healthcare providers face when accessing or delivering effective maternity care.

A critical aim of the dissemination day was to generate new scientific knowledge and implement solutions and build research capacity and expertise where it is needed most.

The day was covered by national media channels and reported on the national news bulletin the following day.

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