A strategic partnership between Orange Foundation Sierra Leone and Mama-Pikin Foundation is delivering lifesaving healthcare support to vulnerable mothers and newborns across Sierra Leone. The initiative, launched in December 2020 with technical input from CAP at Columbia University and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, seeks to address the country’s maternal and neonatal mortality rates.

According to Government data, Sierra Leone recorded 717 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019. By 2023 that figure had fallen to 354 per 100,000, a notable improvement though still among the highest in the world. Health experts stress that most of those deaths are preventable, often caused by inadequate access to skilled care, weak infrastructure and high rates of home deliveries.

The initiative began in Kossoh Town under the “Safeguarding Maternal Health Project,” which emphasized holistic care during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal recovery. Key interventions included health education, infection prevention, women’s care linkage and the distribution of safe delivery kits. Within one year, maternal deaths in the community declined significantly, prompting a nationwide rollout of the program in March 2024.

Between 2020 and 2024, the project:

- Reached more than 12 communities across Sierra Leone


- Supported over 20,000 mothers with safe delivery kits


- Strengthened referral pathways and boosted facility capacities


- Introduced incentives to encourage women to deliver at health facilities instead of at home

Alongside those efforts, the Mama-Pikin Foundation scaled up its Delivery Bucket Program, which provides pregnant women with hygiene and baby care essentials when they deliver at health facilities. Since its expansion in early 2024, more than 20,000 buckets have been distributed across communities including Makeni, Kono, Kenema, York Village, Grafton, Kossoh Town, Kailahun, Legbogbor and Kondembaia.

Health workers in York Village recently lauded the program, noting that it has restored community trust in hospitals and motivated more women to seek professional care during childbirth.

The initiative demonstrates the value of public-private collaboration in strengthening Sierra Leone’s health system. Orange SL Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to supporting national development priorities, while the Ministry of Health and Sanitation pledged continued backing to ensure sustainability.

“This partnership shows that when the private sector, Government and community organizations work together, we can save lives and secure healthier futures for women and children,” a statement from Orange SL Foundation underscored. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/orange-foundation-mama-pikin-foundation-partner-to-boost-maternal-neonatal-health/