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Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has told citizens living in Europe that the country is making tangible progress on basic services, with electricity access more than doubling in recent years.
Jalloh met with Sierra Leoneans from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in Brussels on Friday. The gathering gave him a chance to update the diaspora community on the government’s work.
He told the audience that electricity coverage has risen from 16 per cent to 34 per cent. Rural areas have also benefited from new off-grid solar installations. The government is now aiming for 78 per cent national coverage within the next four years.
On education, the Vice President said the first cohort of students supported by the Free Quality School Education Programme are now moving into higher education.
In healthcare, he reported that increased funding has helped drive down maternal mortality. The rate has fallen from approximately 1,700 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018 to fewer than 340 today.
Dr Jalloh also spoke about a new initiative that has made it easier for Sierra Leoneans abroad to take part in the Hajj pilgrimage.
After his speech, he took questions from the audience and spent time speaking with community members individually.
Ambassador Jusu, who welcomed the delegation, thanked the Sierra Leone Diaspora Advisory Council and the Sierra Leone Central Union for helping to organise the event. He noted that the community had responded well despite the short notice.
