David Harewood Urges Reinstatement of UK Aid to Save Lives in Sierra Leone
Actor and UNICEF UK ambassador, David Harewood, has made an emotional appeal for the UK government to reconsider its cuts to overseas aid, particularly emphasizing the positive impact such aid has on healthcare in Sierra Leone. As the Labour Party conference nears, where key financial decisions will be discussed, Harewood is urging policymakers to remember the human lives that depend on UK assistance.
Firsthand Impact of UK Aid
Harewood recalls his visit to Sierra Leone in 2019, where he witnessed firsthand the critical role British aid plays. At the Makeni regional hospital, he saw tiny premature infants clinging to life in incubators that were essential for their survival. These life-saving devices, staffed and maintained with the help of UK funding, have dramatically improved neonatal care in the region.
He witnessed the difference these critical resources made, not just in terms of technology but also through capacity-building efforts that saw local healthcare workers receive specialized training and support. The efforts had resulted in increased admissions to special-care baby units and improved survival rates compared to earlier years.
Aid Cuts Threaten Healthcare Gains
However, the future of these achievements is now precarious. Harewood points out that, since 2025, major international donors have significantly slashed aid, deeply impacting countries like Sierra Leone. The UK’s own reduction—from 0.7% of national income to just 0.3%—is part of this troubling trend.
The premature termination of UK funding, now expected by December, risks unraveling years of progress. Crucial elements, such as international paediatric support and neonatal nurse training, have already been discontinued. According to initial reports, these cuts are beginning to hamper access to vital medications and services, threatening to leave expectant and new mothers without essential support.
A Call for Reconsideration
As Harewood pleads for the reinstatement of these funds, he stresses that the loss is not just financial but could lead to unnecessary loss of life. Sustaining such healthcare programs requires ongoing financial input not only to procure new equipment but to maintain what is there through technical support, training, and infrastructure such as oxygen supplies.
Harewood’s appeal underscores that decisions made in the UK Parliament have far-reaching consequences, highlighting the lives hanging in the balance. With the potential closure of facilities like those in Makeni, Harewood emphasizes that reversing the cuts isn’t just a matter of fiscal strategy—it’s an ethical obligation.
