By Joseph Momoh | D.S Reporter
FREETOWN — The Government of Sierra Leone has intensified its drive to achieve Triple Zero – zero preventable maternal deaths, zero preventable newborn deaths and zero preventable child deaths – with a special town hall meeting to review progress and chart the next steps.
The town hall, held Tuesday, 6th October 2026, at the Miatta Civic Centre in Freetown, was organised by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education as part of the 300 Days of Activism for Triple Zero, under the theme “Achieving Triple Zero Together: Progress, Challenges and Next Steps.”
The programme was hosted by the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, with Deputy Minister 2 of Health, Dr. Jalikatu Mustapha, serving as guest speaker.
Addressing stakeholders, Dr. Mustapha said Sierra Leone has recorded significant progress in reducing maternal mortality over the past decade through increased government investment and sustained support from development partners.
She however cautioned that despite the gains, the country must not become complacent while preventable deaths continue to occur.
“Reduction in maternal mortality shows what we can achieve when government, partners, health workers and communities work together. But if we have been able to reduce maternal deaths by 70 percent, then we must ask ourselves: why should we stop there? We should move from three deaths to zero, because every life matters,” she stated.
Dr. Mustapha said the Triple Zero campaign seeks to shift the national mindset from accepting maternal and child deaths as unavoidable to treating them as preventable tragedies that demand urgent collective action.
“No woman should die while giving birth, and no child should die from a preventable cause. This is not acceptable, and together we must work towards zero,” she emphasized.
She called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, health workers, communities, development partners and the private sector to identify underlying challenges within the health system and develop practical, community-driven solutions.
According to her, barriers preventing women from accessing timely and quality healthcare must be urgently addressed if the gains made are to be sustained and accelerated.
“The aim is not just to reduce the numbers; the aim is to work together so that, by the end of this campaign, we can say that preventable maternal and child deaths are no longer being accepted as inevitable,” Dr. Mustapha said.
The town hall ended with a renewed call for collective action, accountability, sustained investment and enhanced community engagement to protect the lives of women and children and make Triple Zero a national reality.
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