NEW YORK – First Lady Dr. Fatima Maada Bio has held talks with Her Excellency Emine Erdoğan, First Lady of the Republic of Türkiye, to review progress on the 150-bed pediatric hospital being built in Bo, Southern Sierra Leone.
The meeting took place on Monday at the Türkevi (Turkish House) in New York on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where Mrs. Erdoğan also met with the First Lady of Brazil, Rosângela da Silva.
According to both First Ladies, the discussion focused on the timeline and construction of the specialist children’s hospital in Bo, which is being implemented in partnership with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA).
In a post after the meeting, Mrs. Bio described the engagement as “very productive and meaningful” and said the hospital project is deeply personal to her.
“This 150-bed pediatric hospital, being built in partnership with TİKA, is a significant investment in the health and future of Sierra Leone’s children,” she said. “For me, this project is deeply personal because it speaks directly to my commitment to ensuring that no child in Sierra Leone is denied quality healthcare simply because of where they are born.”
Once completed, the hospital will serve children and families in Bo and across the Southern Region and is expected to strengthen Sierra Leone’s capacity to provide specialized pediatric care closer to home, reducing the need for referrals to Freetown.
Mrs. Bio expressed profound gratitude to Mrs. Erdoğan and the Government and people of Türkiye for their continued support.
The Bo Pediatric Hospital is one of several health and development projects supported by Türkiye in Sierra Leone. TİKA, Türkiye’s development agency, has previously supported hospital construction and health training projects across Africa, including in Sudan, Somalia and Niger.
Mrs. Erdoğan, who chairs the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, said the meeting also covered shared concerns on environment, education and the welfare of women and children.
Mrs. Bio, who currently serves as Chairperson of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), said the partnership “is a beautiful example of how international friendship can translate into tangible opportunities and better lives for our people.”
“For Sierra Leone, this is more than a hospital. It is an investment in our children, an investment in our families, and an investment in the future of our nation,” she said.
