By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily Scope Reporter
The Health Minister Dr. Austin Demby has declared war on preventable maternal and child deaths, warning that Sierra Leone’s health system must deliver results at community level or face public judgment.
Speaking at the Sierra Leone Medical & Dental Association Mid-Year Congress in Kenema, Dr. Demby told delegates that real progress will be measured by lives saved, not national statistics.
“History will judge us by the lives we save,” he said. “Lives are not lost at the national level. Lives are lost at the community level, at the household level, and at the facility level.”
Framing the congress theme “The Role of Health Professionals in Achieving Zero Preventable Maternal and Child Deaths in Sierra Leone” as a direct call to duty, the minister said the “300 Days of Activism” marks the start of a new era built on accountability, professional excellence, and innovation.
Dr. Demby said achieving “triple zero” — zero preventable maternal deaths, zero newborn deaths, and zero child deaths — demands coordinated action from ministries, hospitals, community health workers, and civil society. He urged clinicians, nurses, midwives, dentists, and allied health workers to lead with data, redesign weak systems, and apply practical solutions that fit local realities.
He singled out referral pathways, supply chains, and clinical mentorship for urgent redesign, saying technical upgrades must be matched by stronger patient-centred care.
In closing, Dr. Demby challenged health workers to return to their facilities as “Triple Zero Champions” armed with data and purpose.
“The 300 Days of Activism is not the start of a national campaign; it is the beginning of an era of accountability, professional excellence, and innovation to achieve our one shared vision,” he declared.
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