In support of America's foreign policy, the U.S. Agency for International Development leads the U.S. Government's international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance.
The broad goals of the "Strengthening Integrated Health Services Activity (SIHSA)" grant program in Sierra Leone are to advance and sustain improved health outcomes. The program focuses on children under five, pregnant and postpartum women, youth and especially adolescent girls, and women and children living in hard-to-reach areas with limited access to health services. Special attention is dedicated to particularly vulnerable groups within these demographics, including the disabled, gender and sexual minorities (GSM), and ethnic and religious minorities. The objectives include building a sustainable and resilient health system response to improve access, quality, and effectiveness of family planning (FP), reproductive health (RH), maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH), adolescent health, and malaria services. Additionally, the program aims to strengthen community engagement for solutions to improve health outcomes and promote a paradigm shift within the health system to support system-wide action, including reforms at the community and district levels. This includes encouraging partnerships with local civil society and the private sector to enhance health outcomes.