AYV News, December 10, 2025
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has marked 40 years of transforming children’s lives in Sierra Leone.
Earlier yesterday, UNICEF celebrated 4 decades after opening its doors in 1985, a milestone that reads like a series of small miracles turned into national progress.
From emergency relief during the civil war to longterm development programmes, the agency has been a steady partner in the country’s journey toward a healthier, more equitable future for its youngest citizens.
Also, over the past 40 years, UNICEF’s work has helped slash underfive mortality, expand routine immunisation, and build resilience against climaterelated shocks such as floods and landslides. Solarpowered fridges, introduced in remote villages, have kept vaccines viable, while a new genderbasedviolence information system is already reaching tens of thousands of children across three districts.
Key achievements over the years include:
– Health & nutrition: Routine vaccination coverage rose from under 30 % in the early 1990s to more than 80 % today, with the recent rollout of the malaria vaccine and vitamin A supplementation campaigns saving countless lives.
– Education & early childhood: Free primary schooling helped boost enrolment from 55 % in 2000 to over 90 % in 2023, and UNICEF has constructed earlylearning centres and trained thousands of preschool teachers.
– Social protection: Cashtransfer programmes and lifeskills training have reached more than 150 000 vulnerable households, helping families recover from the 2017 mudslide and other crises.
– Child protection: Legislation raising the marriage age to 18 and ongoing campaigns against female genital mutilation reflect UNICEF’s advocacy for stronger legal safeguards.
Furthermore, looking ahead, the newly launched Sierra LeoneUNICEF Country Programme of Cooperation (20252030) sets ambitious targets: universal primary health care, 95 % immunisation coverage, and a 30 % reduction in child stunting by 2030.
The programme aligns with the National MediumTerm Development Plan and the global Sustainable Development Goals, emphasising climatesmart education, gender equality and robust socialprotection systems.
UNICEF Country Representative Rudolf Schwenk summed it up: “Four decades of partnership have shown what is possible when governments, communities and families work together. The next 40 years must build on that progress, leaving no child behind.”
As Sierra Leone continues its path toward a healthier, more equitable future, UNICEF remains a steadfast ally, championing the rights of the nation’s youngest citizens.
