Health Minister Welcomes Newly Trained Midwives to National Workforce
Sia Lucy Kannah Sierra Leone’s maternal and newborn healthcare workforce received a major boost on Friday, November 13, 2026, as the Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, welcomed newly trained midwifery professionals into the nation’s health system during a landmark graduation ceremony in Bo.
The graduating class comprises 92 midwives from the School of Midwifery Bo (SoMBo) and 34 graduates of the Preceptorship Programme drawn from the Schools of Midwifery in both Bo and Kenema.
Addressing the graduates, health officials, and guests, Minister Demby emphasized that the event represents far more than an academic milestone, describing it as a direct investment in saving lives and advancing safer motherhood across the country.
“Every skilled midwife represents an opportunity to save a life,” the Ministry noted, highlighting that expanding access to skilled birth attendants remains central to accelerating Sierra Leone’s progress toward eliminating preventable maternal and neonatal deaths.
A defining feature of this year’s ceremony was the graduation of the country’s inaugural cohort of Direct Entry Midwifery students alongside the Preceptorship Programme graduates. Health officials hailed the inclusion of the Direct Entry pathway as a transformative advancement in Sierra Leone’s midwifery education system, designed to fast-track professional training, deepen clinical competence, and increase the availability of qualified personnel across underserved communities.
In his keynote remarks, Minister Demby underscored that investing in human resources for health remains a critical pillar of the government’s broader strategy to transform healthcare delivery nationwide. However, he reminded the new inductees that their qualifications carry profound responsibility, noting that timely, compassionate, and high-quality care often marks the difference between life and death in the delivery room.
“As you transition from training into professional practice, you are expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, accountability, compassion, ethical conduct and respect for the dignity and rights of every woman and newborn entrusted to your care,” Minister Demby charged the graduates.
With the deployment of these 126 skilled professionals, Sierra Leone takes another decisive step toward ensuring that every mother and newborn has access to respectful, high-quality care when it matters most.