Sierra Leonean Nurse Builds Women’s Health Network in London

Adama Nyama Bah, a Sierra Leonean healthcare professional based in London, is combining her clinical work with advocacy aimed at improving women’s access to healthcare, support and economic opportunities.

Bah works as a colposcopist nurse within the United Kingdom’s National Health Service and is the founder of the Women’s Health Advocacy Network, known as WHAN. She established the organisation in 2021.

Born in Kabala, the headquarters of Koinadugu District in northern Sierra Leone, Bah grew up in a large family shaped by faith, community values and service. The Sierra Leone Telegraph report on her work says experiences of civil conflict and limited access to healthcare during her childhood influenced her commitment to women and girls whose concerns are often overlooked.

Combining clinical care and advocacy

In her NHS role, Bah supports women through sensitive stages of their healthcare journey. Her work outside the health service focuses on wider barriers that can prevent women from obtaining information, treatment and practical support.

WHAN is described as a charity working to improve health outcomes, promote dignity and expand opportunities for women from marginalised communities. Operating from Southwark in London, the network brings together healthcare professionals, community leaders, researchers and grassroots organisations to address health inequalities and develop routes to support.

The organisation’s activities include improving access to cervical screening, delivering health education, supporting survivors of trauma and helping women gain skills that can contribute to economic independence. It also links women rebuilding their lives with training, mentoring and other development opportunities.

According to the report, many of WHAN’s service users are African women. It attributes this in part to the network’s location in Southwark, which it describes as the London borough with the highest proportion of Black African residents in the United Kingdom.

Mentoring and partnerships

Bah’s work also involves collaboration with community organisations. She shares knowledge, provides mentorship and develops partnerships intended to strengthen support for vulnerable groups.

She has mentored aspiring community leaders and grassroots advocates, helping them develop leadership and organisational skills. The report presents this capacity-building work as part of a broader effort to ensure that women and community groups can play a stronger role in shaping support services.

Her advocacy includes contributions to discussions about health inequality and the obstacles that prevent people from accessing assistance. WHAN’s programmes are presented as connecting healthcare concerns with education, personal development and practical opportunities.

Nursing Times recognition

Bah was recently shortlisted for a Nursing Times award recognising leadership, innovation and measurable impact on patient care. The report says the nomination highlighted her efforts to improve access to women’s healthcare services, support survivors of trauma and build collaborative networks.

The specific award category and the date of the shortlisting were not identified in the report. Her profile nevertheless reflects a career that links Sierra Leonean roots and lived experience with professional and community work in London.