The first lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone Sia Nyama Koroma has given an overview
of her “Women’s Initiative for Safer Health” (WISH) project at the Global Health Council meeting in New York where she further elaborated on her main achievements since the launching of the framework.
Mrs Koroma accompanied her husband Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to attend the United Nations General Assembly where the First Lady met and held fruitful discussions with other First Ladies including Mrs. Sarah Brown wife of the British Prime Minister and Mrs. Michelle Obama.
The first lady made a presentation on her leadership role in maternal and child health issues in Sierra Leone. She stated that the major challenges in implementation which included the scaling up of key cost effective life saving interventions and system strengthening especially in the area of human resource for health.
Mrs. Koroma highlighted some of her achievements in the WISH projects including the development of the WISH framework in collaboration with major stakeholders; the establishment of a national profile as an avid campaigner for better health opportunities for women and children in Sierra Leone; advocacy and partnership for the building of birth waiting homes in collaboration with the government and communities and supporting the financial empowerment of women by engaging them in Agriculture to become meaningful in their various communities.
She also used her high profile office to raise the country’s profile and advocate for the less privileged and improvement on the health status of women and children.
Mrs. Koroma also met with top Donor Partners at a fund raising diner organized by UNICEF where she held fruitful discussions on major success and challenges the country faces on maternal and infant death in meeting the MDGs.
The First Lady also accompanied her husband to a special dinner hosted by President Obama and his wife Michelle Obama for heads of states and their spouses.
Mrs. Koroma also met with a cross section of the APC women in New York where they expressed delight on the First Lady’s work in improving on women’s health, girl child education and promoting women’s right. A cross section of the Sierra Leone community in New York also met with the President and the First Lady to lend their support for achievements gained since the APC came to power.
Sierra Leone Ambassador to the US Mr. Bockarie Stevens and the Sierra Leonean Community in the US hosted a reception for His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma and the First Lady Sia Nyama Koroma at Stanton Island.
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