Sierra Leone is taking decisive steps to eliminate preventable maternal and child deaths through the strengthened implementation of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR).
With support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), key stakeholders convened this week for a two-day national review of MPDSR implementation performance to address health system bottlenecks, share best practices, and formulate targeted strategies to accelerate progress toward zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
Sustained Progress in Maternal Health
Sierra Leone continues to achieve remarkable progress in improving maternal health outcomes. The national maternal mortality ratio has fallen by 79 percent, dropping from over 1,600 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 354 in 2023.
A major driver of this decline has been the transformation of the country’s midwifery workforce. Supported by UNFPA since 2010 through policy reform, training, and institutional development, the number of midwives in Sierra Leone grew from just 95 in 2009 to 3,382 in 2026. Consequently, skilled birth attendance rose dramatically from 43 percent in 2013 to over 90 percent in 2025.
As one of the countries championing Midwifery Accelerator initiative, Sierra Leone has committed to strengthening midwifery education, regulation and practice to improve maternal and perinatal health outcomes. Through this initiative, UNFPA supported the Government to develop a National Midwifery Investment Case outlining the value proposition of investing in training, employing, appropriately deploying, and retaining midwives.
In close partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone, UNFPA continues to strengthen access to sexual and reproductive health services by investing in workforce capacity, quality clinical and preventive care, digital health systems, and emergency crisis response, including gender-based violence (GBV) services.
Momentum Under the “300 Days of Activism”
This strategic review aligns with Sierra Leone’s national 300 Days of Activism campaign, launched in March 2026 to fulfil the President’s commitment made at the African Union Summit to accelerate the reduction of preventable mortality.
The campaign centres on a whole-of-government approach to achieving three critical “Triple Zero” targets: zero preventable maternal deaths, zero preventable child deaths, and zero zero-dose (unvaccinated) children.
As the 300 Days of Activism enters its final 90 days, the campaign’s impact is already clear. Maternal deaths have decreased by 31.3 percent during the campaign period to date, falling from 256 in 2025 to 176 in 2026. It is a testament to the potential to end preventable maternal deaths and achieve the SDG 3.1 target of reducing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to below 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Moving forward, UNFPA and the Government of Sierra Leone remain committed to turning these momentum-driven gains into sustained, equitable healthcare impact for every woman, newborn, child, and adolescent across the nation. This will be achieved through a strong health system, guided by an evidence-based, multisectoral strategic roadmap championed by high-level national leadership, strengthening accountability across sectors beyond health.
Media contact: John Sesay | Communications Unit | UNFPA Sierra Leone | jsesay@unfpa.org