By Joseph L. Kamara
There are fears that Serra Leone’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) will be redundant if a draft bill on civil registration is sent to parliament.
“THE NATIONAL CIVIL REGISTRATION ACT, 2015” proposes, among other things, a centralized registration body. But opposition political parties, the NEC, and civil society organizations are worried that voter registration, which will now be done by an “autonomous” body once the bill is enacted, will not be credible.
By Kemo Cham
A preliminary study has found that fragments of the Ebola virus persist in the semen of some male survivors for far longer than the three months initially thought.
The study whose report was released this week found that particles of the virus can stay in the semen for at least nine months, suggesting the possibility it could stay for longer.
Initially, it was thought that the virus particles only last for six months.
By Kemo Cham
China is once again using its ‘long history of bilateral cooperation’ with Sierra Leone to seek for support in its bid for a seat on the governing body of the International Criminal Police Organisation, better known as Interpol.
This was the subject of discussion when a Chinese diplomat visited the chief of Sierra Leone`s police, Inspector General Francis Alieu Munu, this week.
By Kemo Cham
A team of laboratory experts from the US-based Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) was on a week-long tour of Sierra Leone last week.
The team headed by the Executive Director of APHL was to explore priority areas of assistance within the country`s Post Ebola Recovery plan to help strengthen the health ministry`s priority programme.
APHL, based out of Maryland, USA, has been in Sierra Leone since 2009 helping out in the area of laboratories services.
By Kemo Cham
Sierra Leone is among countries with the lowest rates of handwashing, according to the UN agency Unicef.
Unicef said despite the proven benefits associated with handwashing with soap to child health, and its importance in reducing the transmission of deadly diseases, very small amount of people observe the practice in many countries.
Sub – Saharan Africa has the lowest rates among the rest of the world.
By Kemo Cham
Nine people have been indicted by the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for various offences, the Commission has said in a statement on Wednesday.
The accused who have been charged to the High Court of Sierra Leone include a school principal and employees of the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA).
The ACC did not give specifics about their offences.
Displaced children and women are in the majority at the stadium shelter
By Joseph Lamin Kamara
Supported by: Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA)
