Birthing Huts
Sierra Leone, West Africa
2012-2014

This program is supported by:	Audrey S. Hellyer Foundation	FK Morrow Foundation	Shalom Charitable Foundation
Le Tour de Sierra Leone Participants:

PROJECT GOAL:
The 2010 World Health Organization World Health Statistics report Sierra Leone’s maternal mortality as the world’s highest, 17% higher than any other country, at 2,100 per 100,000 live births. Sierra Leone also has one of the highest under-5 mortality rates, while 24% of newborns are low birth-weight. The objective of the Birthing Hut Project is to address the principle causes of maternal and child mortality before and after birth in a manner that creates sustainable improvement in maternal and child health in two districts of Sierra Leone.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Birthing Hut Project will improve health and well-being for mothers, children, families, and communities in Moyamba and Koinadugu Districts by:

1. Increasing maternal survival through building the capacity of community women’s groups, leaders, and government health staff, and constructing birth waiting homes;
2. Improving newborn and child survival by addressing underlying causes of morbidity and mortality and expanding preventative measures to remote communities; and
3. Strengthening the Government of Sierra Leone Peripheral Health Unit (PHU) system by enhancing its professional and technical capacity while expanding its outreach.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

Objective 1: Reduce maternal mortality rates.

• Women’s groups actively promoting perinatal health awareness and available services.
• Women of child-bearing age (WCBAs) reached through health sensitization campaigns.
• Couples newly enrolled in family planning services at PHUs.
• Vitamin-A mega-doses to new mothers twice within 6 weeks of delivery.
• Birth waiting homes established, providing prenatal and post-partum care for mothers and babies, with 50% of pregnant women making at least 4 prenatal visits.
• Decrease in maternal mortality, according to PHU records and monitoring by CAUSE health workers.

Objective 2: Reduce newborn and under-5 mortality rates.

• Women trained to care for low weight babies.
• Pregnant women provided with Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services.
• 2 stabilization centres providing emergency feeding services for acutely malnourished children.
• Vitamin-A mega-doses to children 6-59 months twice a year.
• Children dewormed twice each year.
• Babies immunized against infections in hard-to-reach areas.
• Packets of CAUSE baby food produced and used.
• New mothers breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months and using weaning foods from 6 months to 2 years.
• Reduction in severe malnourishment among children, according to severity rankings by CAUSE health officers.
• Decrease in mortality rates among malnourished and low birth weight babies in the operational chiefdoms, according to PHU records and monitoring by CAUSE health workers.

Objective 3: Strengthen government health systems and expand access.

• PHU staff members trained in emergency obstetrics, equipment use, and maternal health record keeping.
• Community Health Workers (CHWs) trained in child survival best practices and growth monitoring.
• Sets of EMOC equipment and sets of growth monitoring equipment.
• Ambulances available for emergency referrals.
• Maternal health record books printed and distributed.