09/09/2026
SAFER DELIVERIES, DIGNIFIED CARE: MINISTRY OF HEALTH TAKES OVER REHABILITATED MATERNITY UNIT AT TOMBO CHC.
A major boost for maternal and child health as today officially took over the newly rehabilitated Maternity Unit and Patient Waiting Areas at Tombo Community Health Centre handed over by the Solthis SHAPE Project.
The project aims to support national efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity by enhancing the quality of healthcare services while safeguarding the dignity, rights, and overall experiences of women and adolescents seeking care.
The CHC, in this peninsular fishing community, is the major maternal care facility for a catchment population of nearly 32,000 people, including over 1,300 pregnant women and more than 7,000 adolescents.
The rehabilitation includes an improvement in the number of postnatal beds from an initial 3 to 6, the introduction of a dignified childbirth unit with new birthing balls and yoga mats for respectful woman-centered care, an improved antenatal care unit and a protected waiting area for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
In addition, the health centre now has essential tools to safeguard mothers and newborns: an autoclave to sterilize instruments, a fetal Doppler to monitor heartbeats, neonatal resuscitation equipment to help babies breathe at birth, and a radiant warmer to prevent heat loss. Together, they strengthen safer delivery and an increased chance of newborn survival.
Sierra Leone's for Triple Zero goal is won at frontline facilities like Tombo, which serves over 1,300 pregnant women at a time. With maternal mortality now down by 32%, infant mortality by 16%, and zero-dose coverage at 99.1%, Tombo is where those numbers become real because every safe delivery is a direct contribution to ensuring zero preventable maternal and child deaths.
Austin Demby, PhD, MPH
