Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Austin Denny has disclosed that maternal deaths in the country have reduced drastically in 2022.

The minister said on Monday, 30th January 2023 that the death rate has reduced to 420 compared to death recorded in the previous years.

Demby speaking at the Connaught Hospital where he went to commission oxygen plants donated by Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF), stressed the need to straighten the perception of the citizens about the health sector and sensitize them on development and improvement going on in the sector.

The minister expressed his appreciation to MSF for its strategic contribution to the health sector while advising other stakeholders and private partners to invest in the sector.

According to UNICEF, Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality ratio in the world, making it one of the most dangerous places to give birth.

In Sierra Leone, 1 in 7 mothers has a lifetime risk of dying in connection to childbirth. The West African country with a population of 6 million people, has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with an estimated 1,165 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the UN’s most recent data.