Sierra Leone suffered a cholera epidemic in 2012 which affected over 22,000 people and resulted in almost 300 deaths. The GoSL, in collaboration with its development partners, developed a robust hygiene promotion strategy which was effectively implemented in 2013 and has succeeded in preventing further cholera outbreaks to date. Throughout 2013 to date only 2 cholera related deaths were reported with cumulative suspected cholera cases of 377. 339. In Sierra Leone, 27 percent of the population practice open defecation and access to improved sanitation facilities improved from 13 percent to 17 percent in 2011. The GoSL, through MoHS’s CLTS project has set a target of over 19 percent of the population for Open defecation free status by March 2015. A number of environmental health officials and community members are monitoring community-level water and sanitation service and facilities to ensure that they are sustainable as well as continuing with hygiene education to prevent communicable diseases such as cholera. 340. The Energy and Water Resources sector, working within the framework of country’s National Water and Sanitation Policy, aims to extend coverage of improved drinking water to 74 percent of the population and adequate sanitation to 66 percent by 2015. 7.2.5 Responses to cross-cutting challenges to access to health services 341. Whilst there is a relatively good range of health policies, laws and programmes making an essential package of health care services available to children and their caregivers, access to these services is hampered by a range of factors. These include the cost of health services, distances to health facilities, customary practices and attitudes that inhibit use of services and promote the use of harmful practices, and lack of knowledge of the services that are available and their importance for the survival and development of children to their full potential. The GoSL has responded to these challenges through the measures described hereunder. 7.2.5.1 Free Health Care Initiative 342. The Free Healthcare Initiative (FHC-I) was launched in April 2010. It makes available free health care to pregnant women and children up until the age of five years. By 2011, 1,206,224 children under the age of five years had benefitted from the policy. 7.2.5.2 Health education and advocacy 343. 88  The MoHS has a dedicated health education unit which cuts across all programmes. It plans and implements awareness-raising education and advocacy regarding available services, with a specific view to increase demand. Campaigns target families, communities, traditional leaders with messages aimed at promoting good health and information about services and the importance of using these. The unit plans the social mobilisation components of programmes and at district level, there are health education officers working with the District Health Management Teams to ensure that the interventions flow down from national to district-level. Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone Initial Report on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child 2002-2014