http://www.irinnews.org/Updated everydayen-gbSat, 23 Mar 2013 11:30:50 GMTMon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 18 March 2013 (IRIN) - Thousands of children in Sierra Leone are paying for their own education or helping their families make ends meet by working as rock-breakers for the country’s construction industry.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97669/SLIDESHOW-Children-break-rocks-to-pay-for-school-in-Sierra-LeoneFREETOWN 18 March 2013 (IRIN) - Thousands of children in Sierra Leone are paying for their own education or helping their families make ends meet by working as rock-breakers for the country’s construction industry.]]>Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 27 February 2013 (IRIN) - New data from the World Bank has revealed that African migrants pay more to send money home to their families than any other migrant group in the world.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97557/African-migrants-pay-high-prices-to-send-money-homeJOHANNESBURG 27 February 2013 (IRIN) - New data from the World Bank has revealed that African migrants pay more to send money home to their families than any other migrant group in the world.]]>Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 01 February 2013 (IRIN) - Round-the-clock sand-mining on beaches within a few kilometres of Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown is having a devastating effect on the coastline, destroying property, and damaging the area’s hopes of a tourism revival.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97394/Sand-mining-threatens-homes-and-livelihoods-in-Sierra-LeoneFREETOWN 01 February 2013 (IRIN) - Round-the-clock sand-mining on beaches within a few kilometres of Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown is having a devastating effect on the coastline, destroying property, and damaging the area’s hopes of a tourism revival.]]>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 25 January 2013 (IRIN) - Aid groups are urging donors to invest in water and sanitation in areas known as hotbeds for cholera. They say while such projects might directly affect a relatively small population, the indirect impact in terms of cholera reduction could be immense.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97338/Call-for-targeted-investments-in-cholera-prone-areasDAKAR 25 January 2013 (IRIN) - Aid groups are urging donors to invest in water and sanitation in areas known as hotbeds for cholera. They say while such projects might directly affect a relatively small population, the indirect impact in terms of cholera reduction could be immense.]]>Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 18 January 2013 (IRIN) - Africa could reduce its poverty levels faster by focusing more on the production of staples rather than export crops, according to a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97278/In-Brief-Staples-not-export-crops-key-to-tackling-Africa-s-poverty-reportNAIROBI 18 January 2013 (IRIN) - Africa could reduce its poverty levels faster by focusing more on the production of staples rather than export crops, according to a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).]]>Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 31 December 2012 (IRIN) - The cholera epidemic that struck Guinea and Sierra Leone in 2012 is winding down. What to do now? Start preparing - for cholera.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97157/Cholera-in-West-Africa-lessons-learnedDAKAR 31 December 2012 (IRIN) - The cholera epidemic that struck Guinea and Sierra Leone in 2012 is winding down. What to do now? Start preparing - for cholera.]]>Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 18 December 2012 (IRIN) - The cholera that struck more than 7,000 people in Guinea this year was caused by a new generation of cholera strains - atypical variants of vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor, epidemiologists have confirmed.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97068/GUINEA-New-cholera-strain-poses-prevention-challengesDAKAR 18 December 2012 (IRIN) - The cholera that struck more than 7,000 people in Guinea this year was caused by a new generation of cholera strains - atypical variants of vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor, epidemiologists have confirmed.]]>Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 17 December 2012 (IRIN) - Campaigns to lower the rate of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Sierra Leone are having some impact, but efforts to ban the practice have failed thus far, and despite a push to communicate its health risks, many still believe FGM/C promotes good health and hygiene.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97066/SIERRA-LEONE-The-political-battle-on-FGM-CFREETOWN 17 December 2012 (IRIN) - Campaigns to lower the rate of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Sierra Leone are having some impact, but efforts to ban the practice have failed thus far, and despite a push to communicate its health risks, many still believe FGM/C promotes good health and hygiene.]]>Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 06 December 2012 (IRIN) - The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) 2009, also known as the Kampala Convention, came into force on 6 December; it is the world’s first legally binding instrument to cater specifically to people displaced within their own countries.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96984/IDPs-African-IDP-Convention-comes-into-forceNAIROBI 06 December 2012 (IRIN) - The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) 2009, also known as the Kampala Convention, came into force on 6 December; it is the world’s first legally binding instrument to cater specifically to people displaced within their own countries.]]>Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>KOIDU 06 December 2012 (IRIN) - Sierra Leone’s diamonds fuelled the 1991-2002 civil war, and are now boosting economic growth, but at the same time they are keeping thousands of children out of school.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96982/SIERRA-LEONE-Diamonds-lure-children-out-of-schoolKOIDU 06 December 2012 (IRIN) - Sierra Leone’s diamonds fuelled the 1991-2002 civil war, and are now boosting economic growth, but at the same time they are keeping thousands of children out of school.]]>Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 06 December 2012 (IRIN) - Fishing communities in Sierra Leone have been hit hard by illegal and unregulated fishing off the West African coast. Unsustainable local fishing practices and the activities of foreign trawlers engaged in so-called “pirate fishing” have led to a significant decline in fish stocks in Sierra Leone, environmental groups and local officials say.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96980/SLIDESHOW-Illegal-fishing-hits-fish-stocks-livelihoods-in-Sierra-LeoneFREETOWN 06 December 2012 (IRIN) - Fishing communities in Sierra Leone have been hit hard by illegal and unregulated fishing off the West African coast. Unsustainable local fishing practices and the activities of foreign trawlers engaged in so-called “pirate fishing” have led to a significant decline in fish stocks in Sierra Leone, environmental groups and local officials say.]]>Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 27 November 2012 (IRIN) - The new government is responding positively to health workers and youth groups who have long called for a change in the 1861 law banning abortion except in exceptional circumstances.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96907/SIERRA-LEONE-Shifting-tide-on-abortion-lawFREETOWN 27 November 2012 (IRIN) - The new government is responding positively to health workers and youth groups who have long called for a change in the 1861 law banning abortion except in exceptional circumstances.]]>Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN/DAKAR 22 November 2012 (IRIN) - In Bo, central Sierra Leone, maternal mortality rates have dropped 61 percent since 1990 thanks to cost-free 24/7 emergency obstetric care and an efficient ambulance service and referral system.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96847/SIERRA-LEONE-Slashing-the-maternal-mortality-rate-in-BoFREETOWN/DAKAR 22 November 2012 (IRIN) - In Bo, central Sierra Leone, maternal mortality rates have dropped 61 percent since 1990 thanks to cost-free 24/7 emergency obstetric care and an efficient ambulance service and referral system.]]>Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 21 November 2012 (IRIN) - The Sierra Leone People’s Party, the main opposition party in Sierra Leone, has accused the National Electoral Commission (NEC) of bias in favour of President Koroma’s All People’s Congress (APC) in presidential, parliamentary and local elections on 17 November.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96838/SIERRA-LEONE-Opposition-cries-foul-after-electionFREETOWN 21 November 2012 (IRIN) - The Sierra Leone People’s Party, the main opposition party in Sierra Leone, has accused the National Electoral Commission (NEC) of bias in favour of President Koroma’s All People’s Congress (APC) in presidential, parliamentary and local elections on 17 November.]]>Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 20 November 2012 (IRIN) - Health workers currently immunizing thousands of children and young adults against Meningitis A in Benin are currently doing so without having to spend days preparing ice packs and sourcing generators and fridges to load on trucks because the vaccine has now won approval for being kept at up to 40 degrees Celsius for as long as four days.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96827/HEALTH-Breaking-out-of-the-cold-chainDAKAR 20 November 2012 (IRIN) - Health workers currently immunizing thousands of children and young adults against Meningitis A in Benin are currently doing so without having to spend days preparing ice packs and sourcing generators and fridges to load on trucks because the vaccine has now won approval for being kept at up to 40 degrees Celsius for as long as four days.]]>Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 15 November 2012 (IRIN) - Supporters of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) will today take to the streets of the capital Freetown for the last time before presidential, parliamentary and local elections on 17th November.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96793/SIERRA-LEONE-Ethnicity-trumps-policy-in-upcoming-pollsFREETOWN 15 November 2012 (IRIN) - Supporters of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) will today take to the streets of the capital Freetown for the last time before presidential, parliamentary and local elections on 17th November.]]>Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>BISSAU 14 November 2012 (IRIN) - As cholera case rates decline in Guinea and Sierra Leone, they are on the rise in Guinea-Bissau, with 1,500 cases reported and nine deaths as of 11 November, according to the Ministry of Health.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96772/GUINEA-BISSAU-Cholera-on-the-riseBISSAU 14 November 2012 (IRIN) - As cholera case rates decline in Guinea and Sierra Leone, they are on the rise in Guinea-Bissau, with 1,500 cases reported and nine deaths as of 11 November, according to the Ministry of Health.]]>Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>KONO 13 November 2012 (IRIN) - On 17 November Sierra Leone will head to the polls as President Ernest Bai Koroma of the All People’s Congress (APC) and his main rival Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) face off in what will be the country’s third election since the end of an 11-year civil war.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96766/SIERRA-LEONE-Elections-sampling-opinions-in-the-diamond-rich-eastKONO 13 November 2012 (IRIN) - On 17 November Sierra Leone will head to the polls as President Ernest Bai Koroma of the All People’s Congress (APC) and his main rival Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) face off in what will be the country’s third election since the end of an 11-year civil war.]]>Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 05 November 2012 (IRIN) - Sierra Leone has come a long way since the brutal 1991-2002 civil war, which left thousands dead, countless numbers displaced, and the country's economy and institutions in tatters. Youth unemployment was a major cause of the conflict, so it is worrying that despite significant economic growth at a macro-level and large-scale foreign investment, up to 70 percent of youths are underemployed or unemployed, according to the World Bank.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96711/SLIDESHOW-Youth-unemployment-a-threat-to-Sierra-Leone-apos-s-securityFREETOWN 05 November 2012 (IRIN) - Sierra Leone has come a long way since the brutal 1991-2002 civil war, which left thousands dead, countless numbers displaced, and the country's economy and institutions in tatters. Youth unemployment was a major cause of the conflict, so it is worrying that despite significant economic growth at a macro-level and large-scale foreign investment, up to 70 percent of youths are underemployed or unemployed, according to the World Bank.]]>Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 18 October 2012 (IRIN) - Sierra Leone’s worst cholera outbreak in 15 years has eased in the past two months and new infections each week have recently dipped to below 1,000.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96584/SLIDESHOW-Cholera-ebbing-in-Sierra-LeoneFREETOWN 18 October 2012 (IRIN) - Sierra Leone’s worst cholera outbreak in 15 years has eased in the past two months and new infections each week have recently dipped to below 1,000.]]>Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 16 October 2012 (IRIN) - Soothing her malnourished baby at a clinic in a Freetown slum, a Sierra Leonean mother says she has never heard of exclusive breastfeeding, but observes `banfa’ - a traditional practice where women abstain from sex as long as they are breastfeeding because they believe that sex during that period endangers the child’s health.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96554/SIERRA-LEONE-No-sex-we-are-breastfeedingFREETOWN 16 October 2012 (IRIN) - Soothing her malnourished baby at a clinic in a Freetown slum, a Sierra Leonean mother says she has never heard of exclusive breastfeeding, but observes `banfa’ - a traditional practice where women abstain from sex as long as they are breastfeeding because they believe that sex during that period endangers the child’s health.]]>Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 11 October 2012 (IRIN) - Many Sierra Leonean women who are unable to repay small debts end up in prison for want of decent legal representation after their creditors report them to the police, meaning that civil disputes turn into criminal cases.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96517/SIERRA-LEONE-Women-debt-and-detentionFREETOWN 11 October 2012 (IRIN) - Many Sierra Leonean women who are unable to repay small debts end up in prison for want of decent legal representation after their creditors report them to the police, meaning that civil disputes turn into criminal cases.]]>Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 09 October 2012 (IRIN) - Sierra Leone’s international partners and citizens are paying close attention to possible threats to peace ahead of presidential, parliamentary and local elections scheduled for 17 November, which it is hoped will consolidate stability a decade after the end of a civil war and lead to improved living standards.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96494/SIERRA-LEONE-Bracing-for-a-watershed-electionFREETOWN 09 October 2012 (IRIN) - Sierra Leone’s international partners and citizens are paying close attention to possible threats to peace ahead of presidential, parliamentary and local elections scheduled for 17 November, which it is hoped will consolidate stability a decade after the end of a civil war and lead to improved living standards.]]>Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 24 September 2012 (IRIN) - The cholera outbreak in Guinea and Sierra Leone that has killed 392 people and infected more than 25,000 others since February is slowing down, say aid groups who also call for sustained measures to wipe out the disease.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96379/GUINEA-SIERRA-LEONE-Cholera-outbreak-easingDAKAR 24 September 2012 (IRIN) - The cholera outbreak in Guinea and Sierra Leone that has killed 392 people and infected more than 25,000 others since February is slowing down, say aid groups who also call for sustained measures to wipe out the disease.]]>Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>FREETOWN 31 August 2012 (IRIN) - Heavy rainfall is accelerating the spread of cholera in Sierra Leone and Guinea, where existing health risks such as poor hygiene practices, unsafe water sources and improper waste management are believed to have triggered the disease which has killed 327 people and infected more than 17,400 in both countries since February.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96212/GUINEA-SIERRA-LEONE-Cholera-rising-with-the-downpoursFREETOWN 31 August 2012 (IRIN) - Heavy rainfall is accelerating the spread of cholera in Sierra Leone and Guinea, where existing health risks such as poor hygiene practices, unsafe water sources and improper waste management are believed to have triggered the disease which has killed 327 people and infected more than 17,400 in both countries since February.]]>