Sierra Leone
Number of First Responders: 4,829
Background
In 2018, LFR partnered with the Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society to launch a lay first responder program, serving 606,000 people in Bombali District by training 4,500 responders, where formal emergency medical services have previously been non-existent. Once on the ground in Sierra Leone, LFR partnered with the Agency for Rural Community Transformation, the Holy Spirit Hospital, and the University of Makeni. On June 27th, 2019 the First Responder Coalition of Sierra Leone, proposed by LFR International was signed into effect. The Coalition Constitution establishes the framework for the expansion of EMS throughout Sierra Leone.
Since the programs inception, LFR has trained 4,529 responders in Bombali District as well as 50 first responder trainers. All trained responders have equipped with full first aid kits and 10 advanced responders have been equipped with smartphones making use of the TrekMedics Beacon emergency dispatch application, demonstrating on-scene response times averaging 5 minutes and 39 seconds in 150 measured simulation events.
In 2023, an additional 350 first responders were trained as a part of the Deploying Emergency Bystander Internet Training (DEBIT) trail, investigating the efficacy of in-person vs. online training for future program scaling. Currently, Mr. Alfred Harun Thullah serves as the Sierra Leone Director of implementation for LFR International, ensuring continued project success on a day to day basis.
Future Work
LFR first responders practicing splinting techniques in Makeni, Sierra Leone.
In 2024, LFR International is currently working with the other members of the First Responder Coalition of Sierra Leone to develop more advanced first responder training programs in Bombali District and expand lay first responder training nationally. In this program, LFR International aims to:
Train 450 of our 4,259 first responders in advanced medical and obstetrics response
Train and equip an additional 1,000 first responders making use of a massive open online course in Bombali District
Utilize mobile phones to create affordable and accessible dispatch networks via the TrekMedics Beacon emergency medical dispatch application
Media
LFR International programs have been covered by the media all over the country. Read select publications below.
“LFR International brings its innovative lay first responder training program to Makeni”
“Sierra Leone’s road accident First Responder Coalition to save thousands of lives”
“LFR International trains responders and creates the ‘First Responder Coalition of Sierra Leone’”
Local Partners
Peer Reviewed Publications
Injury “Evaluation of a lay first responder program in Sierra Leone as a scalable model for prehospital trauma care.” Eisner ZJ, Delaney PG, Thullah AH, Yu AJ, Timbo SB, Koroma S, Sandy K, Sesay AD, Turay P, Scott JW, Raghavendran K. [Publication Link]
World Journal of Surgery “Evaluating a Novel Prehospital Emergency Trauma Care Assessment Tool (PETCAT) for Low-and Middle-Income Countries in Sierra Leone.” Delaney PG, Eisner ZJ, Thullah AH, Muller BD, Sandy K, Boonstra PS, Scott JW, Raghavendran K. [Publication Link]