Imagine standing up from a chair and feeling a sudden wave of dizziness, as though the floor beneath you has shifted. For many older adults, this is more than just an occasional inconvenience, it’s a recurring problem linked to a condition called postural hypotension. Despite being relatively common, postural hypotension is surprisingly overlooked. It affects between 20-30% of older adults living in the community, yet is officially recorded in only about 1% of patients’ medical records in general practice. That gap is vast, and it carries real consequences: increased risks of falls, strokes, heart problems, and reduced quality of life.

In early 2020, as headlines around the world warned of a fast-spreading new virus, Sierra Leone watched with a mixture of concern and determination. The country had not forgotten the devastating Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2015, which had exposed painful weaknesses in disease detection, surveillance, and emergency response. That experience left deep scars, but it also sparked reform. When COVID-19 began its global sweep, Sierra Leone faced the crisis with a stronger foundation than many might have expected.