Days of Activism
By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
The Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, has announced that Sierra Leone has recorded a 55 percent increase in new childhood vaccinations during the first 100 days of the government’s 300 Days of Activism campaign.
Speaking at the Government’s weekly press briefing on Tuesday, 9th June 2026, Dr. Demby said the campaign has made significant progress in identifying and vaccinating children who had never previously received routine immunization.
“We have about 9,000 children in this country who have never received a vaccine. Within the first 100 days of this campaign, we identified 5,000 of those children and ensured they received their first dose of vaccines,” he said.
The Health Minister attributed the achievement to intensive community mobilization and collaboration rather than additional financial resources.
“We achieved this without additional funding. What brought us this far was effective mobilization and strong collaboration among all stakeholders, including community leaders, healthcare workers, mothers, and families,” Dr. Demby explained.
The vaccination gains are part of broader successes recorded under the campaign, which is built around three key goals: zero maternal deaths, zero child deaths from preventable illnesses, and zero-dose children—children who have never received a vaccine.
According to Dr. Demby, the first 100 days have produced encouraging results across several health indicators. Infant mortality has declined by 12 percent, while maternal deaths have dropped by 31 percent compared to figures recorded before the campaign began.
Despite the positive outcomes, the Minister emphasized that the work is far from over.
“The next 100 days will be days of action. We are going everywhere to ensure that every mother and every child receives the healthcare services they need,” he said.
The Minister of Information and Civic Education, who hosted the briefing, called on citizens to support the campaign and contribute to its success.
“This is a national movement. Every Sierra Leonean should get behind this remarkable campaign and help us reach every community, every mother, and every child,” he said.
The 300 Days of Activism campaign forms part of the government’s efforts to strengthen maternal and child health outcomes and expand access to essential healthcare services across the country.
