Support Maternal Health in Sierra Leone

Public Health Beyond Borders (PHBB) consists of a globally-minded group of students aiming to address health needs in partnering communities. The mission of this organization is to reduce health disparities internationally and increase awareness about good health practices while exposing undergraduate and graduate students to opportunities for responsible global development work through faculty-mentored trips. The current project teams are in Kenya, Peru, India, Sierra Leone, and locally in Prince George's County. University of Maryland students engage in cultural exchange, practical public health skill-building, and analysis of health needs.

In June of 2024, our Sierra Leone travel team got to visit, connect, and strengthen bonds with our partners in Calaba Town, a community just outside Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown. Before and during the trip, our team expressed particular interest in maternal health services and service access as they related to Sierra Leone’s maternal and infant mortality rates being among the highest globally. While on a walking tour to gain insight into the local community, our guide and longstanding community partner offered to direct us to a Calaba Town maternal health community clinic, where we were able to learn a lot about the variety of free contraceptive and labor and delivery services offered to the entire community at this center.

While learning about the wonderful and accessible maternal health work this clinic has accomplished, we also learned about the staff's limitations. The lack of capacity within the clinic and high demand for services means that women who have just been operated on or who have just given birth have to be discharged hours afterward, often walking for miles up hills and along the roads to reach their homes. To make matters worse, thieves had broken into the clinic overnight and stolen the mattress coverings in the labor and delivery room that patients rested on just after operations and labor. This means that patients who have just undergone serious procedures have been unable to rest on much else other than cardboard padding over a bed frame before having to walk themselves back to their homes.

Through this GoFundMe, we hope to support the clinic’s need for weight scales and mattress pads so that the center can continue serving the Calaba Town community through its vital maternal health services. Additional funds will also help fund more advanced midwifery training to enhance the clinic's services.

We appreciate any and all support towards our cause!