Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has renewed calls for greater investment in maternal and child nutrition, describing the first 1,000 days of a child’s life as a critical period that will determine the country’s future human capital, economic growth, and national resilience.
The Vice President made the call in an opinion article following his participation in the Hamburg Sustainability Conference 2026 in Germany, where he highlighted the importance of prioritising early childhood development as a strategic investment for Sierra Leone’s long-term progress.
“The choices we make in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life will shape our nation’s resilience,” Dr. Jalloh stated, emphasising that the period from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday represents a crucial window for brain development, physical growth, learning ability, and future productivity.
According to the Vice President, Sierra Leone records about 700 births every day, making maternal and child health not only a public health concern, but also a major development priority. He noted that providing children with adequate nutrition, healthcare, and early support during their formative years is essential to building a healthier, more educated, and productive population.
Dr. Jalloh explained that investments made during early childhood have far-reaching benefits, including improved educational outcomes, increased workforce productivity, reduced poverty, and stronger economic development. He stressed that a country’s ability to build resilience depends heavily on the health and wellbeing of its people.
Highlighting government efforts in this area, the Vice President pointed to ongoing initiatives such as the Feed Salone programme, school feeding interventions, food fortification programmes, nutrition-responsive budgeting, and the proposed Nourish Salone movement.
He said these interventions demonstrate Sierra Leone’s commitment to addressing food and nutrition challenges, while strengthening human capital development. According to him, improving nutrition outcomes among mothers and children is central to achieving sustainable development and creating opportunities for future generations.
Dr. Jalloh further noted that many developing countries face difficult decisions when allocating resources between infrastructure development, healthcare, climate adaptation, and social protection. However, he argued that investing in preventive measures, especially maternal and child health, provides greater long-term returns compared to responding to crises after they emerge.
He maintained that early investments in children can reduce the burden on healthcare systems, improve learning outcomes, and create a stronger foundation for national development.
The Vice President also called for increased support from international development partners, urging more predictable concessional financing, stronger risk-sharing mechanisms to encourage private sector investment, and greater flexibility in development funding.
He said countries like Sierra Leone require sustainable partnerships that allow them to invest effectively in their populations and accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The call aligns with Sierra Leone’s broader development agenda, which places human capital development, food security, and improved social services at the centre of national transformation efforts.
Dr. Jalloh’s remarks reinforce the government’s position that building a resilient nation begins with investing in children from the earliest stages of life. Through stronger nutrition policies, improved healthcare access, and targeted development programmes, Sierra Leone continues to focus on creating a healthier and more prosperous future for all citizens.