Deadline: 01-Jun-2026
The UNICEF-led Integrated Community Health Programme for Universal Health Care through Primary Health Care Systems in Sierra Leone is inviting NGOs to support the strengthening and professionalization of the Community Health Worker (CHW) programme. The initiative aims to improve health and nutrition outcomes while creating dignified employment opportunities for young people, especially women.
Implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Mastercard Foundation, the programme supports Sierra Leone’s efforts to strengthen primary health care systems and advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Program Objectives
The programme aims to:
- Strengthen Sierra Leone’s community health workforce
- Improve access to essential health and nutrition services
- Professionalize the Community Health Worker programme
- Create dignified employment opportunities for youth
- Promote women’s participation and leadership in health systems
- Strengthen community-level health service delivery and sustainability
Key Focus Areas
The programme supports activities related to:
- Communication for development
- Disability inclusion and accessibility
- Gender equality and women’s empowerment
- Monitoring, evaluation, and data analysis
- Community health service delivery
- Training and workforce development
- Youth leadership and participation
- Adolescent and child health
- Maternal and newborn health
- HIV/AIDS services
- Reproductive health services
- Nutrition and malnutrition prevention
- Infant and young child feeding
- Micronutrient interventions
- Health systems strengthening
Programme Background
The initiative builds on Sierra Leone’s Community Health Worker policies developed after the Ebola outbreak and aligns with:
- Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- National primary health care strengthening priorities
The programme promotes a state-led and integrated community health workforce model across the country.
Employment and Workforce Targets
The programme aims to create opportunities for:
- 6,800 young men and women
- 4,400 existing Community Health Workers
- 2,400 newly recruited workers aged 18–35 years
Gender Target
- More than 60% female participation is targeted
Geographic Coverage
The programme will operate across:
- All 16 districts of Sierra Leone
Selected NGO partners will work with:
- Ministry of Health
- UNICEF
- District-level health management teams
Key Activities
Community Health Workforce Strengthening
Activities include:
- Recruitment and deployment of CHWs
- Refresher training for existing workers
- Professional certification systems
- Supervision and mentoring mechanisms
- Gender-responsive training modules
Health Systems Support
Partners may support:
- Community health information systems
- Supply chain strengthening
- Policy reviews and strategy development
- Technical working group coordination
- Monitoring and evaluation systems
Community Engagement and Advocacy
The programme also supports:
- Social mobilization activities
- Advocacy workshops
- Community participation initiatives
- Public awareness and outreach campaigns
Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion
An important component focuses on:
- Financial literacy training
- Entrepreneurship development for CHWs
- Livelihood and income diversification models
- Economic empowerment pathways for young women
Pilot economic initiatives will be tested in selected districts to improve sustainability and workforce motivation.
Recognition and Incentives
The programme includes:
- Certification systems
- National awards and recognition programmes
- Performance-based motivation initiatives
Why This Programme Matters
The initiative helps:
- Improve community access to health and nutrition services
- Strengthen resilience of primary health care systems
- Create sustainable youth employment opportunities
- Empower women in the health workforce
- Improve health outcomes for vulnerable communities
- Build long-term sustainability for community health systems
Eligible Partners
The call is intended for NGOs and organizations capable of:
- Supporting large-scale health workforce programmes
- Delivering training and community engagement activities
- Managing health system strengthening initiatives
- Working with government and district health authorities
- Implementing gender-responsive and inclusive programmes
How to Apply
- Review UNICEF’s partnership requirements and programme objectives
- Develop a proposal aligned with community health workforce strengthening goals
- Demonstrate experience in health, nutrition, or workforce development programmes
- Include approaches for gender equality, youth engagement, and sustainability
- Present operational and technical implementation plans
- Submit the proposal according to UNICEF guidelines before the deadline
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are likely to be assessed based on:
- Technical expertise in health systems and CHW programming
- Capacity to operate across multiple districts
- Experience in training and workforce development
- Gender-responsive and inclusive implementation approaches
- Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting capacity
- Community engagement and sustainability strategies
- Coordination experience with government and development partners
Tips for Strong Applications
- Demonstrate experience in community health systems strengthening
- Include clear workforce development and supervision models
- Highlight youth and women empowerment approaches
- Show strong coordination and partnership capacity
- Include sustainability and entrepreneurship strategies
- Present measurable outcomes and monitoring plans
FAQ
What is the purpose of the programme?
The programme aims to strengthen Sierra Leone’s Community Health Worker system while improving health and nutrition outcomes and creating dignified employment opportunities.
Who is implementing the initiative?
The programme is implemented by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Mastercard Foundation.
How many Community Health Workers will benefit?
The programme targets 6,800 young men and women, including existing and newly recruited Community Health Workers.
Is there a focus on women’s participation?
Yes, the initiative aims for more than 60% female participation.
Which districts are covered?
The programme will operate across all 16 districts of Sierra Leone.
What types of activities will NGO partners support?
Partners will support recruitment, training, supervision, community engagement, health systems strengthening, entrepreneurship, and policy development activities.
Conclusion
The UNICEF Integrated Community Health Programme in Sierra Leone seeks to strengthen the country’s primary health care system through professionalized and sustainable Community Health Worker programmes. By combining workforce development, health systems strengthening, gender equality, and youth employment, the initiative supports improved community health outcomes and long-term resilience across Sierra Leone.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.