Fourth Health Station Strengthens Medical Care in Falaba District

Since early August, a new health station has been operating in Durukoro, a remote village in northeastern Sierra Leone – the fourth in the Falaba District. This marks an important step toward the goal of the Sierra Leonean health authority to ensure that everyone has access to medical care within ten kilometers.

By Tobias Lange, Project Manager Sierra Leone and Syria

Durukoro, September 16th, 2025 – After nine months of construction, the new health station was completed and handed over to the village community as well as the health authority. The station consists of a main building with treatment rooms, an office, storage facilities, a technical room, and a separate maternity waiting area. It is complemented by accommodation with two apartments for nurses. This means that ten surrounding villages and communities of the Fullah ethnic group now have access to basic medical care in a hard-to-reach area. Women and newborns especially benefit, as they can now receive support during childbirth, medical care, and vaccinations. Minor injuries are also treated, and malaria medication is available.

A particular focus is on follow-up examinations, since many women still give birth at home. According to data from our three existing health stations in Seremodu, Mansonia, and Bamboria, almost twice as many children are still born at home, but most newborns are brought to the stations within 48 hours for a check-up.

The existing stations are a great success

Each month, about 28 pregnant women are cared for, 20 births are attended, and around 50 children are vaccinated – in addition to follow-up visits and other treatments. In total, more than 16,000 vaccinations have already been administered to newborns, children, and adolescents against diseases such as yellow fever, tetanus, rotavirus, pneumococcus, and polio. The fourth station in Durukoro only began operating a few weeks ago and will further strengthen this contribution. The numbers may seem small, but for the families affected they make a decisive difference – in a country with one of the weakest health systems worldwide, especially in remote regions like Falaba District.

Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the stations and was impressed by their busy operations and the positive feedback from the people. Despite lingering reservations about modern medicine, particularly in rural areas of Sierra Leone, the high utilization of the stations shows that the services are well received.

Nursing School in Mongo

To further build on these successes and sustainably strengthen the health system in Falaba District, we are planning the construction of a nursing school. Construction is scheduled to begin in November 2025, after the end of the rainy season. The school will accommodate 50 students and will include a classroom, two training rooms, an office, storage facilities, as well as a house with two residential units for teachers. If sufficient financial support is available, additional student housing is planned to address the increasingly scarce accommodation options in the village.

Additional photos of the construction and the opening

The Green Helmets have been active in Sierra Leone since 2018 and consciously focus on rural areas. So far, six schools and four health stations have been built.

Further projects in Sierra Leone