GIZ SL Consulting services for Health System Strengthening According to the Human Development Index, Sierra Leone is among the world’s least developed countries (rank 175 of 182 in 2015). On national average, about 52.9% of its 6,000,000 population live in extreme poverty. Between March 2014 and November 2015, Sierra Leone was afflicted by an Ebola epidemic, with 14,122 cases of infection and 3,955 resulting deaths registered, making it the world’s most severely Ebola-afflicted country in the world to date. The national health system is still in the process of being established. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is 1,165 deaths per 100,000 live births, one of the highest MMR worldwide 
 
 The amount of medical workforce in the health system and their qualifications are insufficient to pro-vide adequate medical care to the population. These deficiencies make the situation particularly pre-carious for mother-and-child health. Health personnel are also not evenly distributed nationwide . There are hardly any strategies or incentives to motivate them to work at disadvantaged locations in the country. Due to the insufficient funding, the potential for improving health service capacities and quality is not met. The health surveillance and response system lacks the (fully developed) elements to effectively mitigate health risks to the population. An adequate system for the routine and regular collection and processing of health-related data is in early process. As a consequence, the health system cannot be managed efficiently, especially in crises. The health system in Sierra Leone is not adequately tailored to meet its service requirements (core problem).
  
 The module objective of the project is: The health system in Sierra Leone is better geared to meeting service requirements. The methodological approach is focused on developing the organisational and human resource capacities of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS). Strategies for financing health services and developing capacities will strengthen the health system. With technical advice, the project will implement the health surveillance and response system in keeping with needs as a pilot measure in two border districts. Its outputs will be secured through systematic networking with other actors in the health sector. This will contribute to the joint attainment of the goals of the Health Sector Recovery Plan in Sierra Leone.  The project comprises three fields of activity. The first is directed at raising the quality of service delivery in the health sector. In the second field of activity, the project will concentrate on mainstreaming financing strategies for human development and health services in policymaking, and in the third it will seek to improve the surveillance and response system for notifia-ble infectious diseases and link it with Sierra Leone’s neighbouring countries, Guinea and Liberia. The improved system will be introduced at two locations in the east and west of the country (Kailahun, Kambia) as a pilot measure. The health system of Sierra Leone is better geared to meeting service requirements. Direct Beneficiaries
18 Representatives from government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor and Social Security, Members of Parliament and National Social Services Insurance Trust) at central level. 55 representatives from the Local Councils and District health Management Teams (DHMTs) at district level.