University of Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, poor access to health and safety measures remains among the causes of occupational hazards. Further understanding is required regarding how to enhance safety and well-being in the workplace. This study aimed to assess occupational health and safety (OHS) in both the formal and informal sectors while adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and compliance by sector. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 516 participants. Using a multistage stratified sampling approach, data were collected with a validated, semi-structured questionnaire. This instrument measured sociodemographic characteristics, workplace safety policies, safety factors, and primary outcome variables such as compliance. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used at a significant level (p < 0.05) to examine associations between independent and outcome variables. Cross-sectional design captures a moment in time, not a trend, while self-reported data may overstate positive practices. A significantly greater percentage of the formal sector (76.9%) had safety policies than did the informal sector (23.7%). Most participants (81.8%) acknowledged the significance of emergency exits, with a higher level of recognition observed in the formal sector compared to the informal sector (92.9% versus 72.3%, respectively). Poor ergonomics was prevalent (54.5%), especially in the formal sector (62.9%). Male sex was significantly associated with lower odds of OHS compliance than female sex was (OR = 0.1; 95% CI 0.02–0.38; p < 0.001). Regression analysis revealed key factors associated with OHS compliance: awareness of national OHS policy in the workplace (aOR = 10.4; 95% CI 1.76–61.20; p < 0.010). The study revealed a significant disparity in OHS measures between the formal and informal sectors, with the formal sector showing better compliance with OHS procedures. We recommend that employers establish inclusive workplace policies and tailor training programmes and that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security implement comprehensive OHS policies.

To describe (1) the proportion of deaths that were in recently hospitalised children and (2) causes of mortality among deceased children aged 0-59 months with preceding hospitalisations who enrolled in a mortality surveillance programme. Descriptive study using prospectively collected data. Eight Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) community and healthcare sites in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Deaths among children aged 0-59 months enrolled in CHAMPS 2016-2023. None. Deaths with antecedent hospitalisations within 180 days of death. Causes of death determined by expert panels who reviewed clinical data and histopathologic and microbiologic results from postmortem minimally invasive tissue sampling. CHAMPS enrolled 8548 deaths; we excluded 3688 neonates who died before discharge or ≤24 hours of birth and 482 with unclear information on antecedent hospitalisations. Out of the 4378 remaining deaths, 16.7% (95% CI 15.7% to 17.9%) were deaths that occurred within 180 days of a hospitalisation (n=733/4378). Of these, 55.7% (95% CI 52.0% to 59.3%) occurred outside healthcare facilities. Among included deaths with minimally invasive tissue sampling completed (n=337), lower respiratory tract infections (41.2%, 95% CI 36.0% to 46.7%), sepsis (39.8%, 95% CI 34.5% to 45.2%) and undernutrition (n=92, 27.3%, 95% CI 22.7% to 32.4%) were most common causes of death among cases with antecedent hospitalisations. The greatest proportion of deaths with antecedent hospital admissions occurred among cases aged 1-11 months (48.0%, 95% CI 44.4% to 51.7%), compared with those aged 0-1 months (21.7%, 95% CI 18.8% to 24.9%) and those aged 1-5 years (30.3%, 95% CI 27.0% to 33.8%). Moreover, the greatest proportion of deaths with antecedent hospital admissions occurred among infants/children with weight-for-age Z-score of <-3 (62.5%, 95% CI 56.5% to 68.0%) compared with those with weight-for-age Z-score of ≥-3 (37.5%, 95% CI 32.0% to 43.5%). We observed a high proportion of deaths with antecedent hospitalisations within 180 days among young children across eight sites in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Among those deaths, children aged 1-11 months and undernourished infants were over-represented, suggesting early follow-up as a potential point to focus targeted support and future research.

In this paper, we present novel exact traveling wave solutions for the coupled Whitham–Broer–Kaup equation, which includes both odd- and even-order partial derivative terms. These solutions are obtained using the extended generalized Riccati equation mapping method. The resulting traveling wave solutions exhibit diverse forms, including bright solitons, periodic waves, breather solitons, lump solitons, and others. Furthermore, the stability and conservation laws associated with these solutions are analyzed in detail. These findings have significant implications in physics and various applied sciences. In addition, the proposed method proves effective for solving a broader class of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations.

Albeit traditionally, devoted cultural belief was the solid foundation of attention and help for cultural elderly individuals in Guinea and Sierra Leone, pressures of global development, social transformation, industrialization and the economic adverse winds battering these nations have crumbled this ancient family structure. The mutual connections which flourished between social associates of the binuclear clan and their elderly relations, who represented as chiefs, patriarchs or matriarchs for the clan or household groupings, have been weakened, thus exhibiting them to powerlessness. Also worsening their condition is the collapsed and basic realty of social protection initiatives for elderly individuals in these nations. Subsequently, elderly individuals in Guinea and Sierra Leone are prone to poverty, disease, forsaking and disregard, and mistreat, and so on. This is problematic, considering that life span should be acknowledged as one of the valuable accomplishment of present times. Elderly individuals are therefore social victims of long-lived, thus depriving cultural society of this social population gain. This research article examines conventional and non-conventional social structures of care for elderly individuals in Guinea and Sierra Leone, via a relational contact. The article is established on literature casing and review of policy records or papers as its principal methodology.

Introduction The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a universal framework for addressing interconnected global challenges. However, effective localization is often hindered by a lack of alignment with diverse local contexts. This study examines the critical, yet underappreciated, role of cultural dimensions in shaping the legitimacy, engagement, and sustainability of SDG adaptation, particularly in the Global South.Material and Method A comparative case study of India and Sierra Leone was conducted, selected for their contrasting governance structures (federal versus post-conflict community-based) and development trajectories. The analysis employed Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as an analytical lens alongside qualitative content analysis of over 100 academic publications, national policy reports, and institutional datasets. This mixed-methods approach identified key cultural variables influencing SDG implementation.Results Findings reveal that cultural factors, specifically power distance, collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation, profoundly affect policy legitimacy, stakeholder engagement, and program acceptance. In India, digital governance and federal decentralization contend with challenges of uneven participation and regional disparities. In Sierra Leone, despite financial and donor-dependence constraints, traditional governance structures and collective resilience enhance program integration. Crucially, interventions demonstrating cultural congruence with traditional authority systems, spiritual values, and community norms show higher adoption rates and more sustainable impact in both contexts.Conclusion The study concludes that effective SDG localization requires moving beyond technical and financial solutions to explicitly integrate cultural analysis. It proposes a culturally informed, governance-aware framework for SDG adaptation. This approach, which incorporates local epistemologies into international agendas, can enhance the legitimacy, local ownership, and long-term sustainability of development initiatives, contributing significantly to the discourse on contextual sustainability.

The capacity of the health system to respond timely and adequately to the health needs of the people is critical to averting deaths, especially in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children. The robustness and responsiveness of a country’s health system predict access to a range of health services, including maternal and child health (MCH) services. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the influence of five (5) health system characteristics (i. type of health provider, ii. level of facility, iii. availability of essential medicines, iv. availability of basic equipment, and v. type of facility) on access to MCH services in Sierra Leone. This study was guided by Bryce, Victora, Boerma, Peters, and Black’s framework for evaluating the scale-up to millennium development goals for maternal and child survival. The study was a secondary analysis of the Sierra Leone 2017 Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) dataset, which comprised 100% (1,284) of the country’s health facilities. Data analysis included bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions. In the bivariate analysis, all the independent variables showed statistically significant association with access to MCH services and achieved a p-value &lt; .001. In the multivariate analysis, however, only 3 predictors explained 38% of the variance (R² = .380, F (5, 1263) = 154.667, p&lt;.001). The type of health provider significantly predicted access to MCH services (β =.549, p &lt;.001) as did the availability of essential medicines (β= .255, p&lt;.001) and the availability of basic equipment (β= .258, p &lt;.001). According to the study findings, the availability of the right mix of health providers, essential medicines, and basic equipment significantly influenced access to MCH services, regardless of the level and type of health facility. The study has highlighted the relative influence of health system access to MCH services. The findings would inform efforts towards broadening strategies to address weak health system blocks to optimise access to quality MCH services, which ultimately can contribute towards the reduction of maternal and child mortality rates in Sierra Leone and similar contexts.

IntroductionIt has been established by various researchers that the type of coagulants affects the quality of Tofu. Still, no work has been published on how the chemical composition and textural attributes influence the sensory acceptability of Tofu. This study aims to assess the relationship between the chemical composition, textural attributes, and sensory acceptability of Tofu.MethodsSoymilk was produced from soybeans, with soymilk protein denatured by heat, and curdled using different coagulants like vinegar, lime juice, alum solution, and steeped ogi water to get different samples of Tofu. The Tofu samples were evaluated for chemical composition, textural attributes, and sensory acceptability using standard methods.Results and discussionThe results showed that the vinegar-coagulated Tofu significantly possesses the highest fat, ash, crude fiber, total carbohydrate, and total energy contents, and the steeped Ogi water-coagulated Tofu had the highest protein content. The calcium, magnesium, and zinc contents were higher in the vinegar-coagulated Tofu, while the sodium content was higher in the alum solution-coagulated Tofu. Total phenolics and total flavonoids were higher in the vinegar-coagulated Tofu, while the steeped Ogi water-coagulated Tofu had the highest DPPH value. The lime-coagulated Tofu had the lowest of all the chemical compositions. The adhesiveness, chewiness, cohesiveness, and gumminess were higher in the vinegar-coagulated Tofu, while the fracturability and hardness were higher in the lime juice-coagulated Tofu. Steeped Ogi water was shown to be the most effective coagulant in improving the sensory aspects of Tofu, followed by vinegar, providing a tasty and aesthetically beautiful product, while lime was the least popular choice. The calcium and zinc contents, total flavonoid and phenolic contents, and DPPH may have also contributed to the fracturability of the steeped Ogi water-coagulated Tofu, and the protein content may have contributed to the springiness and subsequent overall acceptability of the steeped Ogi water-coagulated Tofu.ConclusionTherefore, steeped Ogi water could be used to produce quality Tofu that will balance the chemical composition, textural attributes and sensory acceptability.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality globally. Despite growing awareness of the stroke epidemic, there is limited understanding of the lived experiences and perspectives of stroke care within resource-constrained health systems. This study explored the experiences and perspectives of stroke survivors, primary caregivers and healthcare providers on stroke care in Sierra Leone. This qualitative descriptive study involved face-to-face semi-structured interviews with stroke survivors, informal caregivers, and healthcare providers between December 2020 and August 2021 in Sierra Leone. We purposively sampled participants to capture diverse experiences across the care continuum. Data were analysed thematically using a constant comparative approach and interpretative phenomenological analysis, triangulating perspectives across participant groups. Five interconnected themes emerged and are grouped into three categories: (1) Health-seeking behaviour: delayed hospital presentation, financial burden and out-of-pocket costs; (2) Health service delivery: hospital care experiences, access to and continuity of physiotherapy and; (3) Perceived impact and recommendation: recommendations for systemic improvements. Stroke survivors and caregivers reported a lack of knowledge of stroke symptoms, considering traditional treatment or religious consultation as the first point of contact, resulted in considerable delay in seeking hospitalisation. Other major barriers were related to challenges in accessing physiotherapy services and the financial hardship associated with stroke care. The dependence of stroke survivors on their caregivers as a result of staffing shortages and frequent communication breakdowns was frequently reported during hospitalisation. National health policies on stroke care, dedicated stroke units, community physiotherapy programmes and funding support were recommended. Stroke care in Sierra Leone is limited by systemic barriers that include infrastructure, cost, and accessibility. To bridge these gaps, community-based stroke education, health insurance schemes, workforce stroke-care training, and organised stroke-care delivery are needed. These results offer actionable recommendations for improving stroke care and service delivery in resource-constrained settings.

Following the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, the post-Ebola recovery investments in Wellbody Clinic and Koidu Government Hospital provide an opportunity to conduct a more focused examination of facility-level maternal health services and outcomes in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to describe the use of maternal healthcare services and outcomes in these health facilities before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved analysis of routine programme data (March 2019 to February 2022) from two public health facilities supported by Partners In Health Sierra Leone: Koidu Government Hospital and Wellbody Clinic. Aggregated and de-identified secondary data was abstracted using a standardized tool. Descriptive statistics and bivariable negative binomial regression were used to assess the association between time periods ( pre-COVID-19 period [March 2019 to February 2020], during COVID-19 emergency period [March 2020 to February 2021], after COVID-19 emergency period [March 2021 to February 2022) and outcomes (antenatal care visit and facility deliveries). The study analyzed 3,204 fourth antenatal care visits and 7,369 deliveries over 36 months at both health facilities. The fourth antenatal care visits (from 947 to 920) and facility deliveries (from 2309 to 2221) decreased during COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19. However, maternal (from 32 to 23) and neonatal (36 to 26) deaths declined during COVID-19 compared to the pre-COVID-19 period at Koidu Government Hospital. Regression analysis showed that relative to the period of COVID-19 emergency period, there were no observable difference in the rate of fourth antenatal care visits in the pre-COVID-19 period [IRR = 1.02, 95%CI: 0.61, 1.72] and during the post-COVID-19 emergency period [IRR = 1.45, 95%CI: 0.87, 2.42]. Relative to the COVID-19 emergency period, there was also no difference observed in maternal deliveries: pre-COVID-19 [IRR = 1.03, 95%CI: 0.69, 1.56] and post-COVID-19 emergency [IRR = 1.28, 95%CI: 0.85, 1.92]. In Sierra Leone, the resources and efforts directed to the post-Ebola recovery strategy were tested during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study demonstrates the resilience of maternal and neonatal services in two healthcare facilities in a less-affected region of Sierra Leone, to the anticipated disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Background:&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; The increasing environmental concerns and the need for sustainable waste management practices have driven research into alternative thermal treatment methods for agro-industrial waste. Solar drying presents a promising, eco-friendly solution, particularly in regions like Sierra Leone, where abundant sunlight can be harnessed. This case study explores the application of solar drying techniques as sustainable alternatives for thermal treatment of agro-industrial waste at the Eastern Technical University Carpentry Workshop. &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Methodology&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: The study employed a comparative experimental design, assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of solar drying against conventional thermal methods. Agro-industrial waste samples, including wood shavings and sawdust, were subjected to solar drying in specially designed solar dryers and traditional heaters. Parameters such as moisture reduction rate, drying time, energy consumption, and waste quality post-drying were measured. Data collection involved temperature monitoring, weight measurements, and qualitative assessments of dried waste. &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Results:&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Results demonstrated that solar drying significantly reduced moisture content comparable to conventional methods, with an average drying time of 48 hours versus 24 hours for thermal treatment. Notably, solar drying consumed no external fuel energy, making it more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The dried waste maintained its structural integrity and suitability for reuse in carpentry processes. Additionally, the solar drying method produced minimal emissions, aligning with sustainability goals. &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Conclusion:&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Solar drying techniques offer a viable and sustainable alternative for thermal treatment of agro-industrial waste within the context of Sierra Leone. The method&amp;apos;s low operational costs, environmental benefits, and preservation of waste quality suggest its potential for broader adoption in agro-industrial settings, contributing to waste valorization and sustainable development efforts. Future research should focus on optimizing solar dryer designs and scaling up to industrial levels to maximize impact.