UNFPA supports midwives and helps mend health system

When World Health Organization (WHO) declared Sierra Leone Ebola-free over a year ago the country had already suffered over 3,900 deaths. Ebola killed over 200 health workers in Sierra Leone, including 56 midwives.
Fear and stigma plagued the healthcare system, especially reproductive health care. This left thousands of women and girls without maternal health and family planning services.
UNFPA and the Government of Sierra Leone are working to restore access to reproductive healthcare. “Before Ebola, we had limited midwives,” said Margaret Mannah-Macarthy, a UNFPA midwifery expert, “and now we have even fewer.” UNFPA is now supporting midwifery schools in Freetown and Makeni, which are expected to graduate 80 to 90 students, every year.Midwives from these schools will be able to provide a full range of services for pregnant women, from antenatal care and safe deliveries to postnatal care. They will also be trained to provide reproductive health services to the broader community, including neonatal care, family planning counseling, and diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.
Some midwives are also eager to do community outreach. “I want to help communities to be less fearful about coming to the hospital,” said Jeneba Sia Bundo, a 29-year old midwifery student.At the National Midwifery School, one of the UNFPA-supported institutions, training will now exceed the rigorousness of the previous curriculum.“The Ebola virus highlighted some serious gaps and deficiencies in the curriculum that we teach the midwives,” Dr. Joan Shepherd, the school’s principal, told UNFPA

First Lady Sia Nyama Koroma Championed the launching of the African Union Campaign to end early Child Marriage with the theme ‘end child marriage for sustainable development in Sierra Leone.’

As efforts are being put in place to start a strong and effective campaign, on Wednesday the office of the first Lady Sia Nyama Koroma championed the launching of the African Union Campaign to end early Child Marriage with the theme ‘end child marriage for sustainable development in Sierra Leone.’

The launching held at Kingtom Bank Complex, was attended by stakeholders and dignitaries in different spheres of life, including UN Agencies, AU representatives, Chinese envoy, Child Rights Advocates, Women’s organizations and it was officially launched by Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh.

Girls under the age of 18 years are being deprived of their right to education and a better life due to early marriage and because of the alarming percentage in Sierra Leone stakeholders have committed themselves to champion the campaign and to contribute to the development of young girls in the country.

First Lady Sia Nyama Koroma explained her motives and her reasons for championing the course because according to her, early marriage is detrimental to the development of the girls and the nation as a whole.

“Young girls are vulnerable in society, and are faced with lots of challenges which hinders or interfere with their development. It is our duty and responsibilities as senior citizens to ensure our children are safe, provide better education, health and sanitation.”

She mentioned that young girls are being forced into early marriage that has resulted to ill health with most of them losing their lives to child birth, early pregnancy complications and severe diseases like fistula.

Madam Koroma urged all stakeholders involved including community leaders, paramount chiefs, traditional leaders, religious leaders, and women leaders to champion the campaign and be steadfast to ensure girls are safe in society.

“We should ensure commitments, that girls are given the opportunity to grow and participate in development” first lady emphasized.

The Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs (MSWGCA), Neneh Turay, emphasized on the need to hold duty bearers accountable to force them to implement concrete actions noting the challenges of poor implementations and process.

She stressed on the conflicting laws in Sierra Leone that are mainly responsible to the continued practice of early marriage because of the consent of age and approval of parents or stakeholders in community 

stating that traditional norms embedded into society should be changed in order to achieve their aim.

The stakeholders of different organizations and NGOs noted the importance of the quest or pursuit to end early marriage pointing out its negative impact in development.

Therefore they called on government to put emphasis on massive sensitization across the country.

By Mariam S Bah