Sierra Leone Nurses Association



	INAUGURAL COMMONWEALTH NURSES CONFERENCE Vice President of the SLNA, Mr Senesie Margao, attended the Inaugural Commonwealth Nurses Conference in London 10-11 March 2012. Mr Margao's attendance was sponsored by the Commonwealth Secretariat. Mr Margao's presentation at the conference was titled: Challenges for nurses and midwives of a government free health care initiative. Senesie Margao $Description: Description: C:\Users\JillIliffe\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Word\IMG_6949.jpg$ Mr Margao with the Commonwealth Secretary General and other sponsored delegates from Lesotho and Cameroon $Description: Description: C:\Users\JillIliffe\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Word\IMG_7032.jpg$ $Description: Description: C:\Users\JillIliffe\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Word\Senesie.jpg$ WORKING TOGETHER TO CARE The President and Executive of the Sierra Leone Nurses Association encourage all nurses to join the SLNA so that together we can work to provide quality care for the benefit of the people of Sierra Leone. $Description: C:\Users\JillIliffe\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Word\IMG_3117.jpg$ $Description: C:\Users\JillIliffe\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Word\IMG_3232.jpg$ Madonna Hill Senesie Margao President Vice President SLNA CONTACT DETAILS Street Address 16c Fort Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone Postal Address PO Box 521, Freetown, Sierra Leone Phone 078 818 839 / 077 588 222 Email slna_03@yahoo.co.uk		MAKING PREGNANCY SAFER The SLNA, in partnership with the Commonwealth Nurses Federation, and supported by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health, is hosting a series of maternal health updates funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing. The first of the updates was conducted in Freetown 13-16 February for thirty senior nurse midwives. The next update is to be held in Makeni 20-22 February. Further updates will be held in other districts in May 2012. $Description: Description: C:\Users\JillIliffe\Documents\CNF\Burdett Trust Project\Group Photo Freetown Sierra Leone.jpg$ FREE HEALTH CARE HAS ITS CHALLENGES FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES In Sierra Leone, the advent of free health care for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under the age of five, has resulted in many challenges for nurses. Nurses work long hours with no shift allowance and with severe staffing shortages. MORE HEALTH WORKERS NEEDED FOR SIERRA LEONE Health workers are the backbone of health care systems. Without them, millions of mothers and children have no one to diagnose and treat illnesses, dispense treatment, assist at births, provide immunization, and advice on how to stay healthy and prevent disease. Yet, as the UN Secretary-General has noted, the world is suffering from a massive gap of more than 3.5 million health workers. This includes a pressing global need for 1 million community health workers and 350,000 midwives. Millions more existing health workers lack the support, equipment and training they need. Above: So many students graduate at the end of each year but very few are absorbed into the government system as qualified nurses; this late absorption means that a good number of them leave for greener pastures.