Author: gleanernewspaper

By Kemo Cham Nearly a decade after the deadly West African Ebola Epidemic was declared over, a study on the long term immunogenicity and experiences of survivors of the viral disease has commenced in Sierra Leone. Researchers from Sierra Leone, Japan and the United States are investigating the long-term immune system immunological memory and experiences of survivors and their close dependents by exploring how their life styles have evolved since the end of the epidemic. They will also examine the social and contextual factors influencing these changes. The researchers say the aim of the study is to understand host-pathogen immune…

Dr. Bangura delivers his declaration in the heart of the ruling SLPP stronghold. Speaking to a jam-packed, joyous crowd in Bo District on Friday, Dr. Ibrahim Bangura made it known that he would run for the All People’s Congress (APC) flagbearer position in the general elections of 2028. Party supporters from all over the southern provinces of Sierra Leone attended the rally, which was characterised by celebration, cultural displays, and an obvious display of support for his campaign. Dr. Bangura, who was the first to resurrect the APC student union at Fourah Bay College following the 1992 coup, spoke to supporters…

Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamahdi Bangura According to a senior mines expert who wished to remain anonymous, Kasafoni land is still embroiled in controversy after a government delegation headed by Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamahdi Bangura visited two districts and three chiefdoms to sign a lease agreement. The expert cautioned that recent government actions run the risk of escalating long-standing tensions and that the land is “encumbered.” The expert stated that the Sierra Leone Mines and Minerals Development and Management Corporation (SLMMDMC) and the Finance Ministry’s weekend interventions have made matters worse rather than better. “The moment issues start from…

Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, led a high-level delegation to the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), using the international platform to reaffirm his government’s commitment to youth empowerment and inclusive governance. Dr. Sengeh told conference participants that the country’s development strategy goes beyond traditional management practices to intentionally unlock the potential of every citizen, with a focus on young people. Dr. Sengeh described the concept, which is similar to President Julius Maada Bio’s 2023 United Nations General Assembly call for “radical inclusion,” as a practical commitment to invest in every human being so…

By-William Morris “For youth who play such a large portion of the population (in Sierra Leone), they’re going to be the ones shaping the future,” said Jon Wogman, the foundation’s senior program manager for youth programs. “So the opportunity to engage them, hear their ideas, be able to see what they thought was really needed to address improvements … was a really incredible experience.” Foundation president Mashal Husain said the organization began running its Youth Institute in 1994 and today operates 20 annual sessions around America and in six foreign countries. It first launched in Africa last year with institutes…

The African Bar Association (AfBA) has publicly praised Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio for his leadership as chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) during a difficult regional period, and has pledged its support for efforts to strengthen engagement with the Alliance of Sahel States. In a formal letter to President Bio signed by AfBA President High Chief Ibrahim Eddie Mark, the association acknowledged the complexities of the challenges confronting ECOWAS as Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—all currently under military rule—move forward with plans to exit the West African bloc and deepen cooperation within the AES.…

UNICEF and Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) have completed a focused ten-day Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) Pretest and Training of Trainers (ToT) program in preparation for the nationwide rollout of the seventh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-7). The workshop, which took place from August 4 to 13, 2025, brought together 32 staff members from Stats SL’s Demographic Health & Social Statistics and Data Science Divisions for intensive training in digital survey methods and the complete set of MICS-7 questionnaires. The program aimed to improve national capacity for high-quality, standardised data collection. Participants were given hands-on experience with modern CAPI devices…

Dr. Alieu Kamara of Sierra Leone stands in front of a surgical bed outfitted with improvised bolsters and a foam headrest. He is the country’s first and only neurosurgeon. “We used to lose a lot of patients due to head injuries, spinal cord injuries, spine fractures and the like,” Kamara said. “There was nothing we could do for them.” That reality inspired him to pursue training in the field. By Sophia Li Morie Abibu, a 56-year-old father of three, lies on a hospital bed in the humid Sierra Leonean heat. He is paralysed from the neck down. After months of immobility,…

The EU Health Task Force (EUHTF) has deployed two ECDC experts to Freetown, Sierra Leone, via the DG ECHO Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) to support the national response to the ongoing mpox clade IIb outbreak. This two-week mission comes at a critical time as the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and National Public Health Agency (NPHA) review their three-month Action Plan aiming to contain and end this outbreak. The two experts, an epidemiologist and a risk communicator , are working closely with national stakeholders, including the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health, Africa CDC colleagues, and with the support of…

Following a working visit to the city as part of the Afrimedia Tour 2025, residents of Makeni have showered Africell Sierra Leone CEO Shadi Gerjawi with praise, calling him a “God-sent man.” Senior management teams from Africell and Afrimoney, as well as Martison Obeng-Agyei, CEO of Afrimoney, joined Gerjawi on the visit. The delegation’s objectives were to interact directly with clients, introduce new developments and prospects, and bring the company’s services closer to the Makeni community. Gerjawi emphasised the value of getting candid, helpful feedback from clients in Makeni and the surrounding areas during the public engagement. He reaffirmed Africell’s…