Maternal mortality in Sierra Leone is high with a rate of 443 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to WHO’s 2020 statistics. One of the major barriers to access maternal health in Sierra Leone is the referral system, which is dysfunctional and does not cover the high needs. Besides, most pregnant women cannot afford paying for alternative transportation to the health centers, which usually are far away from their homes.
To support those women and try to lower the maternal mortality in the country, MSF works with the Ministry of Health in Mile 91 and Magburaka (Tonkolili district) and Kenema to reduce maternal mortality with an ambulances system and supporting primary and secondary health facilities. MSF ambulances transport women from the Peripheral Health Units (PHU) to the clinics and to the Secondary Health facilities, like Magburaka Government hospital, supported by MSF, and Kenema hospital, a facility built in 2019 by MSF to respond the needs in terms of maternal health. In these facilities, MSF provides care particularly to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under 5 years.