Combating Covid-19 in Sierra Leone
Coronavirus has severely impacted our lives – from pressuring our healthcare to keeping families apart. Though we’ve been persevering through the global pandemic for nearly a year, it is hardly a new ‘normal’.
Sierra Leone had its first reported Covid-19 case at the end of March 2020. However, in the first seven months of the outbreak, there were more malaria deaths than coronavirus deaths. People are increasingly distrustful of the government as the impact of Covid-19 has not yet been as bad the authorities said it would be.
In this context, rumours, fake news, and misinformation have been spreading, which have caused fear and panic. There is a general unease about transmission, following the Ebola epidemic that plagued Sierra Leone for two years. Some have suggested that coronavirus is a tool for the government to make money from the World Bank, while others believe it is a punishment from God or the result of 5G technology. Some believe that Covid-19 is a myth, and some think that African people are safe from the virus as it cannot survive warmer climates.
Dismantling misinformation in Sierra Leone
Our partner, the Believers Broadcasting Network (BBN), has been working hard to tackle misinformation and get the community talking.
BBN utilised Amplifying Voices’ tools to set up the ‘SALT’ project, and have been running it since 2015. SALT* volunteers have maintained regular contact with community members through telephone calls and WhatsApp messages to support them through the pandemic. Radio interviews have been conducted over the phone, keeping listeners well-informed of each community’s developing situation.
Providing essentials items amid Covid-19
Physical visits into the communities are now restricted. But volunteers have managed to reach several households to provide some practical relief. Sixty homes received bags of rice, locally-made washable face masks, and handwashing buckets with taps, helping people survive at this extremely challenging time.
By caring for the communities’ health and wellbeing, the SALT volunteers seek to build people’s confidence and resilience to address the challenges they face, like coronavirus. We want to ensure reliable information is being provided, constructive dialogue continues to occur, and community fears and concerns are heard.
To read more news about our partner-led project in Sierra Leone, click here.
*BBN set up the SALT ministry in 2015 in response to the devastating Ebola outbreak which heavily weakened Sierra Leone’s already fragile health system. SALT is a strengths-based approach to improving health and promoting community healing, integrated with radio broadcasts.