prevention and treatment of malaria during pregnancy. CRS’s main responsibilities under the GFATM round 10 grant in SL include: strengthening information systems related to malaria essential medicines and commodities, community behavioral change, mass-media communication; and research studies/surveys. 306. The MoHS with the support of UNICEF and other health development partners has progressively introduced the integrated community case management (i-CCM) of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea since 2010. The i-CCM’s aim is to improve access to prompt treatment, especially in hard to reach areas. It is currently rolled out in 6 districts with approximately 6,000 Community Health Workers in hard to reach areas, providing lifesaving high impact treatment against malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea to children under five in the remote hard to reach communities. 307. The utilization of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) for malaria diagnosis has been now rolled out in all public health facilities and by Community Health Workers (CHWs) treating malaria. This is an important step to improve the accuracy of malaria diagnosis and treatment and the rational use of ACTs. 308. The MoHS, with the support of its various partners, is implementing complementary activities to strengthen the malaria control interventions. These include:  Trainings for District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) and health service providers on malaria case management, including the utilization of RDTs, Integrated Management of newborn and childhood illnesses (IMNCI) and rational ACTs use.  Community sensitization on malaria prevention and early treatment (e.g. through sensitization teams, local radio jingles)  Provision of basic medical instruments and supplies to PHUs and clinics, to enable proper malaria diagnosis (e.g. stethoscope, blood pressure apparatus, test material for malaria, gloves).  Provision of bed nets (long lasting insecticide treated nets, LLITNs) to the communities and through routine MCH and EPI clinics  Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) has been piloted in 4 districts by the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP). 309. In June 2011, six months following the LLIN universal coverage mass campaign, 87 percent of households had at least one LLIN, 73 percent of children under five, and 77 percent of pregnant women, slept under an LLIN the night before the survey respectively. Among households possessing at least one LLIN, 80 percent of children under five, and 88 percent of pregnant women slept under an LLIN the previous night (National Malaria Control Program, 2011). 310. The Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) 2013 demonstrated a decline in the gains reached with the 2010 Universal coverage LLIN mass campaign in Malaria prevention. According to the MIS, 62 percent of households in Sierra Leone own at least one insecticide-treated net (ITN), noting that almost all mosquito nets in Sierra Leone are LLINs, 37 percent of the Sierra Leonean population have access to an ITN and 39 percent of the population slept under an ITN the night before the survey, while 45 percent of children and 47 percent of pregnant women respectively, slept under an ITN the previous night. 82  Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone Initial Report on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child 2002-2014

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