Health Ministry Reports 31.4% Drop in Maternal Deaths as Triple Zero Campaign Nears End
Alusine Ahmed Kargbo Ministry of Health has reported a 31.4 per cent reduction in maternal deaths and a 12.1 per cent decline in child deaths as the country’s 300 Days of Activism for Triple Zero campaign enters its final phase.
The ministry also announced that 9,930 children had been reached through vaccination efforts targeting zero-dose children, representing 110.3 per cent of the campaign’s target.
According to the ministry, the campaign is 73 per cent complete, with health authorities calling for sustained efforts to prevent avoidable deaths among mothers and children and improve access to essential childhood vaccinations.
The Triple Zero campaign focuses on reducing preventable maternal deaths, child deaths and the number of children who have not received routine vaccinations. The initiative forms part of the government’s efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and improve maternal and child health outcomes nationwide.
Deputy Minister of Health II, Jalikatu Mustapha, described the reported progress as encouraging but warned that preventable deaths remain a major concern.
“The curve is bending, but mothers are still dying in childbirth and children are still not surviving to celebrate their first birthdays,” Mustapha said. “Our goal is zero, and with the final stretch of the campaign ahead, the work continues.”
Despite the reported improvements, the ministry acknowledged that significant challenges remain in achieving the campaign’s objectives. It stressed the importance of sustained investment in maternal healthcare, expanded immunisation programmes and stronger community outreach to ensure that vulnerable populations receive essential health services.
As the campaign approaches its final phase, the Ministry of Health said it would intensify its interventions to build on the reported gains and reach more mothers and children with essential healthcare services.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to reducing preventable deaths and expanding childhood immunisation, while emphasising the need for continued efforts to ensure that every woman can access safe maternal care and every child receives life-saving vaccinations.