What your support means for maternal health in rural Sierra Leone
Beyond Capital: Why Operational Support is the Key to Saving Mothers in Sierra Leone
This October, the Maternal Health Foundation (MHF) announced a major step forward: a new capital grant to expand maternal and newborn health capacity in rural Sierra Leone. Working alongside Maternal Health Africa (MHA), this investment will help strengthen facilities, expand access to Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for high-risk pregnancies, and strategically position safe C-section capacity closer to women’s homes.
But while capital investment lays the foundation, it is not enough on its own. For real impact, we must also sustain the operational side of healthcare — the day-to-day resources that keep services running and save lives.
The Gap Between Capital and Care
The Government of Sierra Leone provides a basic level of maternal healthcare coverage, but major operational costs remain unfunded. These include:
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Training and supervision for midwives and surgical providers.
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Fuel and maintenance for ambulances and transport.
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Blood supply logistics to ensure safe transfusions.
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Clinical consumables and medicines needed for emergency care.
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Communications and solar power upkeep to keep PHUs connected to referral hubs.
Without support for these essentials, new infrastructure risks being underutilized — a building without power, an operating room without supplies, or a trained midwife without the tools to act.
A Role for Donors
This is where our donors and partners play a critical role. Capital grants can build new systems, but donor support ensures those systems are operational, sustainable, and lifesaving.
Your contribution helps bridge the gap between infrastructure and impact:
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A midwife trained and equipped with POCUS to identify high-risk pregnancies.
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An ambulance fueled and maintained so a woman can reach safe C-section care in time.
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A blood bank stocked and ready for emergencies.
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A rural PHU powered and connected to its referral hub.
Together, We Can Change the Trajectory
By combining MHA’s grassroots operational model with MHF’s capital resourcing and strategic planning, we are building a system that can change the trajectory of maternal health in Sierra Leone. But success depends on sustaining what is built.
We invite you — our donors, supporters, and partners — to join us in subsidizing these critical operating costs. With your help, we can ensure that rural mothers and newborns not only gain access to new infrastructure but also to the day-to-day care that makes survival possible.
➡️ Join us in bridging the gap. Your support saves lives.