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Africa Update · October 2026

Supporting cooler healthcare spaces in Sierra Leone

Community members seated under a canopy at the Tombo Community Health Centre gathering, with MEER and Solthis team members in the foreground
Community members gather under the canopy at Tombo, where the SHAPE Project's improvements were presented

MEER joined Solthis at Tombo Community Health Centre on 9 September for a handover ceremony marking improvements delivered through the SHAPE Project in Sierra Leone's Western Area Rural District.

The project works to improve access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for adolescents, young people, pregnant women and the wider community. By upgrading healthcare spaces and strengthening services and community engagement, it aims to provide more welcoming, accessible and dignified environments for people seeking care.

For MEER, the event offered an opportunity to explore how cooling interventions could complement these improvements. Heat exposure is an important consideration in healthcare settings, where the comfort of patients and staff forms part of the everyday care environment. MEER's work on surface cooling and environmental monitoring could help inform practical ways to reduce heat exposure within these spaces.

Community members and journalists recording the handing-over ceremony inside the Tombo Community Health Centre, Sierra Leone
The handing-over ceremony at Tombo Community Health Centre, Western Area Rural District, Sierra Leone

The team had previously visited Tombo while renovation work was underway, observing the facility and assessing opportunities for future collaboration. Attending the handover provided a chance to build on that engagement and learn more about the improvements introduced through SHAPE.

We look forward to continuing discussions with Solthis about how passive cooling could support its work, helping make healthcare spaces more comfortable for the communities who depend on them.