Child birth in Sierra Leone

Child birth in Sierra Leone

Training traditional birth attendants improves maternal mortality rates

At one time Sierra Leone had the worst rate of maternal mortality in the world. Stung by this label, 18 months ago the government introduced free healthcare for young children and their mothers. It also banned Traditional birth attendants or TBAs from delivering babies in women’s homes in order to encourage them to go to clinics or hospitals. The TBAs have been part of their communities for years – and in remote villages there are concerns that it’s hard for women to reach a clinic. So now there’s a new project to train so-called Maternal Aides, to help advise pregnant women.

Journalist Kati Whittaker has travelled to Sierra Leone with World Vision to see how people in rural communities are being trained to support pregnant women. Listen now to her report for the BBC World Service Health Check programme (Jump to 0:05:32 to listen to the feature).

Visit our blog to read the story following two expectant mothers living in very different worlds comparing child birth in the United Kingdom and in Sierra Leone

9 December 2011