By: Amadu Wurie Timbo

Sierra Leone is celebrating hard-won progress in maternal and child survival, but the country is not yet ready to declare victory.

Speaking during the State Opening of Parliament on 7 August 2026, President Julius Maada Bio said the country has recorded significant improvements in maternal and child health during his eight years in office, gains that have set the stage for an even more urgent national push to save lives.

President Bio reported that maternal mortality has fallen by 51 percent, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the progress Sierra Leone recorded over the decade between 2013 and 2023.

He also highlighted improvements in child survival, noting that under-five mortality declined from 105 to 91 deaths per 1,000 live births, while neonatal mortality fell from 31 to 29 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Behind every percentage, however, is a human story: a mother who survived childbirth, a newborn given another chance at life, and a family spared the devastating pain of losing a loved one.

President Bio described the progress as evidence that Sierra Leone’s continued investment in healthcare is yielding results, emphasizing that, “More children are surviving their earliest years.”

But the progress has also sharpened the urgency to do more.

Every mother who still dies from a preventable complication and every newborn who fails to survive the first fragile days of life serves as a reminder that the country must move faster.

It is against this backdrop that the Government’s 300 Days of Activism takes on particular significance a focused national effort aimed at accelerating the reduction of maternal mortality through stronger implementation, accountability and sustained political attention.

The 300 Days of Activism initiative prioritizes continuous care throughout pregnancy, safer deliveries, rapid responses to complications and comprehensive postnatal follow-up.

“My Government has pledged to closely monitor progress, openly share results and measure success not simply by activities completed, but by the most important outcome of all the number of lives saved,” President Bio assured.

The message is therefore both a celebration and a challenge. Sierra Leone has come a long way, but the journey is far from over.

The 300 Days of Activism offers an opportunity to transform the gains already recorded into a stronger national promise: that no woman should lose her life while giving birth and no child should lose the chance to grow because a preventable health problem was not addressed in time.

The statistics show progress. The challenge now is for the 300 Days of Activism to turn that progress into even more lives saved.