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Sierra Leone has recorded a 30% reduction in maternal deaths during the first 150 days of the Ministry of Health’s 300 Days of Activism campaign, with officials also reporting improvements in child survival and childhood immunisation.
The campaign, launched in March, focuses on three national targets: Zero Maternal Deaths, Zero Child Deaths, and Zero Zero-Dose Children. At its midpoint, the Ministry of Health said maternal mortality has fallen by 30%, child deaths have decreased by 14%, and 79% of children who had never received routine vaccinations have now been identified and immunised.
Speaking at an event marking the campaign’s halfway stage, Health Minister Dr Austin Demby described the progress as an indication of what the country’s health system can achieve through coordinated action, in a video on Wednesday 5th August 2026.
“What we have seen is the possibility of what we can achieve. This kind of trajectory has not been seen anywhere in the world.”
Dr Demby urged health workers and communities not to become complacent, saying the early achievements should inspire greater commitment during the remaining months of the campaign.
He said the Ministry has strengthened its response to major causes of maternal and child deaths, including bleeding, sepsis, hypertension, malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea. According to the minister, improved access to real-time, localised data is helping health teams identify emerging trends and deploy targeted interventions more effectively.
“We are now looking at granular data that informs our interventions. We can see what is happening in Bonthe or Tonkolili this week, examine community-level trends, and respond where the need is greatest,” he said.
Campaign leads Dr Francis Moses and Dr Mariama Mustapha said reducing child mortality remains a key challenge despite the recent progress.
“It’s not dropping as fast as we want it,” Dr Moses said.
He explained that hospitals are now required to conduct a mandatory review of every child death within 24 hours to identify the causes promptly and improve future clinical responses.
Dr Mustapha said the latest figures suggest Sierra Leone is making measurable progress in improving maternal and child survival but emphasised that the gains must continue beyond the campaign.
“Ultimately, we want to institutionalise these interventions beyond this campaign,” she said.
Health officials said sustaining the current momentum will require continued collaboration among healthcare workers, communities, and policymakers to ensure the progress achieved during the 300 Days of Activism becomes a lasting improvement in Sierra Leone’s health system.
