Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world and one of the highest infant mortality rates, happening often due to preventable causes. Project HOPE works to strengthen the skills and training of health care professionals so they can improve health outcomes for mothers and newborns.

We promote the creation of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) units, in Sierra Leone to improve health outcomes for pre-term and low birth weight infants. Beyond providing renovation support to neonatal care areas of hospitals, we established the first two KMC units in Sierra Leone at Ola During Children’s and Bo District Hospitals with the aim of serving as centers of excellence for other hospitals throughout Sierra Leone.

We also partnered with the regional hospitals to operate newborn care training programs covering intensive clinical and management training, mentorship on essential and special newborn care and support to Special Care Baby Units and establish a skills lab. We strengthen mother support groups to recognize and respond to newborn health issues in their homes and communities.

Our History in Sierra Leone
Project HOPE entered Sierra Leone in 2014 to help contain the Ebola outbreak in response to a call for assistance from the Government of Sierra Leone. Following our response, we recognized the need for maternal, neonatal, and child health programs, which led to our current activities.