By Henry Kargbo
The Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health and Sanitation Dr. Sartie Kenneh has disclosed that the Southern Region of Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality rates, with over one hundred maternal mortality per 1000 women. This according to records projected by the ministry is followed by North, with eighty-six percent (86%) which has been declared as an emergency pregnancy rate per 1000 woman.
Dr. Kenneh last Thursday 27th October 2022 made the disclosure, during the official launching and presentation of findings of a study conducted on abortion incidence and severity related complications in Sierra Leone, at the Family Kingdom, Aberdeen in the West of Freetown.
Dr. Kenneh said that the study shows that in 2021 91,494 induced abortions occurred in Sierra Leone, adding that abortion rate indicates that 44.2 abortions per 1000 women of reproductive age ranging from 15 to 49 years. He pointed out that abortion rate is alarming in Sierra Leone, and reassured all that the line ministry will use the report as a call to compare to neighbouring countries.
He informed that based on research done by the ministry 38% out of all the pregnancies in 2021 were untended and 63% of those unintended pregnancies ended up in abortion with serious complication.
Dr Kenneh said unsafe abortions contribute significantly to maternal mortality rate in Sierra Leone, which has been declared as an emergency. He encouraged the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to use the report as a call to action to prevent incidences of unwanted pregnancies.
Deputy Country Representative, United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) Sibesu Mululuma said the 2019 survey shows that safe abortion contribute to two of the living causes of maternal mortality deaths in the country.
She said countries should come together to promote strong abortion care in the lives of women and girls, calling on government to raise awareness in order to address abortion for woman and girls.
World Health Organization WHO Country Representative to Sierra Leone, Evans Majani Liyosi said maternal mortality rate estimated that three thousand three hundred seventy nine women were treated for abortion.
He said evidence derived from the study should be used to strengthen programmes targeted at reducing unsafe abortions, improving the availability and quality of comprehensive abortion care services, bolstering policy engagements, and informing campaigns and advocacies around the abortion discourse in Sierra Leone.
