Sierra Leone
Seed Global Health began working in Sierra Leone in 2019 at the invitation of the Office of the Vice President to serve as the government’s partner in strengthening quality services for primary care and maternal and child health over the next 10 years, beginning with midwifery education and practice.
Today, Seed and the Government of Sierra Leone work together to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes by increasing the number of qualified midwifery graduates and strengthening the clinical competencies of existing midwives: a critical first step to reducing preventable maternal and newborn mortality.
Currently, Seed Global Health supports two partnerships in Sierra Leone, one in Makeni with the School of Midwifery in Makeni and Makeni Regional Hospital, and one in Bo at the School of Midwifery Bo and Bo Government Hospital. To date, Seed and its partners have focused on reducing maternal mortality by improving identification and management of obstetric emergencies, strengthening documentation practices, and increasing team communication.
Reproductive, Maternal,
Newborn, and Child
Health
Select Achievements
Education
Education
Over the past two years, Seed educators have created and implemented a 3-day Student Orientation Program for midwifery students entering clinical rotations. This program prepares students by outlining key expectations, teaching best practices for communication, and providing just-in-time training for essential life-saving clinical skills. Over 250 students and supervising maternity staff have received this orientation at Makeni and Bo as of February 2023. Positive feedback has been provided by both students and their preceptors related to increased readiness and improved integration.
Practice
Practice
The Seed partnership has introduced the practice of daily formal maternity unit ‘huddles’ at both Bo Government Hospital and Makeni Regional Hospital. These huddles promote communication and teamwork among maternity staff and are one key intervention in Seed’s package to reduce maternal mortality. Between 2021 and 2022, a 60% reduction in maternal deaths at Makeni Regional Hospital has been observed.
Policy
Policy
Sierra Leone currently has no national Midwifery Scope of Practice which would identify and define midwives’ role and autonomy within the healthcare system. A national Scope of Practice would allow midwives practice to the full extent of their education and abilities. Seed is working directly with the Chief Nursing and Medical Officer within the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to draft a Scope of Practice for midwives, with the goal of completion and mainstreaming the Scope of Practice by the end of 2023.
Impact By the Numbers
2
Training Sites
5
Physician, Nurse, and Midwife Educators Placed
39%
Increase in midwifery student test scores on managing postpartum shock
70%
Increase in maternity unit huddles held at Makeni Regional Hospital over one year
2030 STRATEGIC PLAN
Sierra Leone 2030 Country Strategy
The Sierra Leone Ministry of Health (MOH) is championing the life stage approach to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Under this approach, health services are customized for each life stage, from pregnant mothers and newborns to senior adults.
“Impact usually comes after a long-term, but we have started seeing a tremendous impact at Makeni Regional Hospital within a shorter period thanks to Seed Global Health.”
Dr Francess Fornah
Head of School, School of Midwifery Makeni
Learn More About Our Other Countries
We build the capacity of doctors, nurses, and midwives so that they can address the diverse and specific health needs of their communities and serve as agents of change. We focus on:
- Community Health
- Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health
- Mental Health
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We enable access to high-quality emergency care and maternal, newborn, and child health services that improve the well-being of those who seek them. We focus on:
- Emergency Care
- Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health
Uganda
We train family physicians and midwives who can provide comprehensive, continuous, high-quality care in urban and rural communities to people at all stages of life. We focus on:
- Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health
- Primary Care
Zambia
42,000
Over the past ten years, Seed has trained more than 42,000 nurses, midwives and physicians across Africa. In the next ten years, we aim to more than double our impact, reaching over 80,000 health workers.
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