UNICEF: Reducing the dangers of pregnancy in Sierra Leone

UNICEF and other international leaders in maternal health and child survival are meeting in Washington, DC, to accelerate a global campaign aimed at reducing deaths of pregnant women and young children. Here is one in a series of related stories.

BO, Sierra Leone, 7 June 2010 -- Sierra Leone is one of the most dangerous places on earth to be pregnant. Its health infrastructure was destroyed during the country's decade-long civil war, and many families must travel long distances to reach health facilities. They are often too poor to pay for treatment and, all too frequently, must rely on traditional methods of care during childbirth.

The result is that one in eight women in Sierra Leone dies from pregnancy-related complications. In industrialized countries, that risk is only 1 in 8,000.

In response to this crisis, UNICEF is working with the Government of Sierra Leone and other partners -- including the European Union, the World Bank and UK Aid -- to introduce free health care for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under the age of five. The policy abolishes fees for medical attention and provides drugs and treatments free of charge in every public health facility in the country.

Around 1.2 million mothers and children in Sierra Leone are expected to benefit from the new policy in 2010.

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