Politics and palliative care: Sierra Leone

摘要

The Republic of Sierra Leone, which is Portuguese for 'Lion Mountain', gained independence from Britain in 1960 and remains a Commonwealth member country. Sierra Leone was the departure point for thousands of west African captives who formed a large part of the transatlantic slave trade. The capital city, Freetown, is so named after being established as a home for repatriated former slaves. The country's contemporary history has been dominated by a pitiless civil war (1991-2002), which saw the death of more than 50 000 citizens. The country is rich in diamonds and other mineral wealth and the illegal trade in illicit 'blood diamonds' funded in part the continuance of the conflict. The more recent epidemic outbreak of Ebola, which killed 3000 people, continues to have an impact on the country's social, economic and political recovery.