Sierra Leone: Learning to live with Covid

Amplifying Voices is supporting our radio station partner BBN in Sierra Leone as their team of 30 community volunteers visit homes in 9 Freetown neighbourhoods to hear what local households are saying about living with Covid. BBN’s “Amplify” radio programmes provide a platform for the communities’ stories and voices, especially where people are finding ways to live well despite the economic, social and emotional pressures caused by on-again/off-again lockdowns.

In the UK, 65% of the population are already fully vaccinated. Even so, people are recognising that Covid19 is not going away soon. For many of us, learning to live with Covid means thinking about vaccine boosters, finding ways to mix with others, and carefully reopening for business. In Sierra Leone, where the effects of Ebola are still being felt six years on and the fragile health system is still recovering, it is also clear that Covid will not go away quickly. However, only 0.5% of the population have been fully vaccinated against Covid and a further 1.7% have been partially vaccinated. In order to try and manage Covid, people are constantly adapting to changing rules for living, working and socialising with others. Any thoughts of booster vaccines are a long way off. Learning to live with Covid is a big challenge.

We are working with BBN in Freetown to re-invigorate the volunteer team who had been doing SALT^[1] visits in 9 communities that are facing severe social challenges and deprivation with limited state provision. The SALT visits were interrupted as lockdowns restricted the ability to visit homes or facilitate community meetings. Community and team members are keen to see these visits restarted. The team also plan to extend the visits to another large deprived urban community in Freetown. BBN is preparing to re-focus radio content. They continue to support community efforts to stay healthy, build up local services and to sustain livelihoods, while also encouraging improved take-up of the Covid-19 vaccine as it becomes more available.

So far, Sierra Leone has imported enough vaccine doses to vaccinate 10% of the population (over 800k doses, and more have been promised through the COVAX system). Ransford Wright, CEO of BBN, told us that some of the reasons why more people have not been vaccinated are based on fear or lack of reliable information.  In July 2021, a survey by SierraPoll found that:

• 38% of the Freetown population have said that they will never take a vaccine, 38% say they are willing and 24% are unsure.
• Because:
  • People do not have time or don’t know where to get it (33%)
  • People are afraid of the side effects and that some people will die after vaccination (23%)
  • People think there is no point taking the vaccine – they will just follow precautions (10%)
  • People believe COVID is a hoax or not a serious threat (9%).

This has been further exacerbated by a very prominent pastor dying recently after having taken the vaccine.

We are supporting BBN to create and broadcast radio dramas, radio announcements and social media videos to help challenge the rumours and fears surrounding vaccines. SALT visits both inform and increase the reach of the radio content.

[1] SALT is a community engagement process that sees change happening in neighbourhoods and service providers through listening to household stories that unlock local strengths and connect local aspirations. Read more about Amplifying Voices through SALT.