News & Stories
In Sierra Leone, maternal and child health care services are being transformed through an initiative called Quality Essential Health Services and System Support Project (QEHSSSP).
The morning of April 23 marked a turning point for women and their families in Kono District, Sierra Leone, as Partners In Health (PIH) and Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health & Sanitation officially broke ground on the Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE).
At the center of the campus of Lakka Government Hospital, a mango tree stands, its wide branches offering a shaded gathering spot for patients looking for conversation and camaraderie. Many of them have lived at the hospital for months, with even more challenging treatment still ahead.
Vicky Reed: PIH’s director of nursing in Sierra Leone mentors nurses, strengthens health care system
Last week, health officials in Guinea confirmed the reemergence of Ebola in Sierra Leone—putting the entire region, including our patients and teams in Sierra Leone and Liberia, at risk.
The morning of April 23 marked a turning point for women and their families in Kono District, Sierra Leone, as Partners In Health (PIH) and Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health & Sanitation officially broke ground on the Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE).
Fourteen weeks ahead of his due date, Naphtal was unexpectedly delivered on a rural farm on the edge of Kono District, Sierra Leone, miles away from any health facility. He and his mother, who was in dire condition after a complicated, unattended birth, were rushed by ambulance to Koidu Government Hospital, Kono’s only hospital.
Partners In Health’s Maternal Center of Excellence in Kono, Sierra Leone, will expand maternal care with a 120-bed ward, NICU, surgical suites, and outpatient services while training future clinicians.
Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, making it one of the most dangerous places for women to give birth. The country sees 1,120 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births—a number that far outpaces the global average of 211. But it doesn’t have to be this way.