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The Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs has called for strengthened healthcare systems to reduce preventable newborn deaths in Sierra Leone, as she delivered a goodwill message at the 2nd Annual Conference of the Pediatric Association of Sierra Leone (PASL).
The conference was held under the theme: “Healthy Starts, Hopeful Futures: Strengthening Newborn Care in Sierra Leone.”
In her address, the Minister highlighted that neonatal mortality remains a major contributor to child deaths in the country, stressing the urgent need to improve antenatal, delivery, and postnatal healthcare services.
She also drew attention to broader social challenges affecting maternal and child health, including child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and harmful traditional practices, noting that such factors continue to undermine progress in reducing mortality rates.
Commending PASL for its efforts, the Minister praised the association’s commitment to strengthening child health through capacity building, advocacy, community outreach, research, and public awareness campaigns. She emphasized the vital role of healthcare professionals in ensuring quality care for newborns from birth through early childhood.
Reaffirming government commitment under the Presidential 300 Days of Activism on Maternal and Child Health, the Minister restated the national goal of achieving zero preventable maternal and child deaths.
She further called for stronger collaboration among healthcare workers, development partners, civil society organizations, communities, and families to improve newborn survival and ensure that every child in Sierra Leone has a healthy start and a better chance at life.
