The first physiotherapists to graduate in Sierra Leone marked World PT Day 2025.
On Monday 8 September, Sierra Leone joined the rest of the world in celebrating World PT Day — and it was nothing short of inspiring. Across nine locations, from Kenema to Bo, Kono to Freetown, physiotherapy departments brought hospitals, markets, and communities to life with conversations about this year’s theme: Healthy Ageing.
Just two years ago, Sierra Leone had no physiotherapists trained within the country. In 2023 and 2024, the first groups graduated, and now, during their internship year, they are stepping forward as leaders. For many people in Sierra Leone, this was their very first time meeting a physiotherapist and learning how movement, exercise, and simple care can change lives. These young professionals aren’t just practising physiotherapy — they’re leading awareness, advocating for better health, and showing the public that rehabilitation is for everyone.
Through the Enable the children program (ETC), under World Hope International, one of their key aims is the access to and the strengthening of rehabilitation services. Celine Gunaratnam, employed under the ETC team, is the physiotherapy mentor that orchestrated the day together with the recently graduated physiotherapists.
It was a day filled with energy, music, and movement. In hospitals, the physiotherapy departments went from ward-to-ward meeting patients, families, and staff, sharing practical advice on staying active and independent as we get older. They shared the leaflets produced by World Physiotherapy. Some teams even took it a step further — heading into markets and public spaces to chat directly with the community, hand out flyers, and spread the word about the role of physiotherapy in keeping people healthy throughout their lives.
Celine supported the planning, helping interns build confidence to take charge and engage their communities. At the heart of this success was partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Sierra Leone Physiotherapy Association (SLPA).
The National Rehabilitation Centre held a program inviting patients and family to an educational event, with a turnout of 30 people. The day was extremely successful with presentations from the interns which lead to meaningful conversations and increased awareness of healthy ageing.
This event marked the first of many to come in Sierra Leone and left the professionals feeling optimistic about Physiotherapists future in country. Patients and family feedback needing more of these events and promoting of the profession. With the support of World Physiotherapy, we believe this is achievable and look forward to seeing the success continue.
