At the recently held Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health’s (PMNCH) 13th Annual Accountability Breakfast at the Harvard Club in New York, Sierra Leone’s Health Minister, Dr. Austin Demby, highlighted the country’s strides in advancing women, children, and adolescents’ health. His remarks, delivered at a key event on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), underscored Sierra Leone’s commitment to improving health outcomes through a whole-of-government approach aimed at sustainable development.
“Sierra Leone is committed to progress, placing women, children, and adolescents at the center of a whole-of-government approach for sustainable development,” Dr. Demby declared in his opening statement.
The PMNCH event, which gathered global health leaders, focused on enhancing accountability for the health of women, children, and adolescents worldwide, especially at a time when the world is at a crossroads regarding global health progress. PMNCH also unveiled its new 2026–2030 strategy, “Partnership for Change,” aiming to promote and protect women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health in a fragmented world. The strategy reframes health not just as an agenda but as a movement for power, rights, and equity, with PMNCH positioning itself as the key platform for collective action and accountability.
Held under the theme “Partnership Power: Disrupting the Status Quo and Accelerating Change for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health,” the meeting comes at a critical juncture, with progress slowing and the global health landscape facing growing challenges. These include political instability, rising global conflicts, misinformation, and threats to social justice, all of which threaten the hard-won gains in maternal and child health.
Minister Demby used the platform to showcase Sierra Leone’s key achievements, particularly in maternal health. He highlighted the country’s success in reducing maternal mortality by 20% from 443 to 354 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2020 and 2023. Additionally, Sierra Leone has made significant strides in reducing under-five mortality, with the rate dropping by more than a third over the past 30 years, from 264 to 94 per 1,000 live births.
“These gains are significant,” Dr. Demby said. “They reflect the government’s commitment to addressing the well-being of women and children with urgency, using innovative technological solutions.”
He also pointed to the introduction of digital health innovations, such as the PReSTrack pregnancy tracker and the Life Stages Approach, as part of Sierra Leone’s ongoing efforts to improve maternal and child health outcomes. Additionally, the establishment of special care baby units, which now have survival rates exceeding 90%, was presented as a key milestone under his leadership.
While Dr. Demby acknowledged these positive developments, he also recognized the ongoing challenges, particularly the high rates of adolescent pregnancies, with one in three young women in Sierra Leone giving birth before their 18th birthday. However, he emphasized the government’s response to these challenges, including expanded access to sexual and reproductive health services, free quality education, mobile ultrasound services, and strengthened community partnerships.
“We are working tirelessly to address these challenges,” Dr. Demby remarked. “We are expanding access to essential health commodities, ensuring free quality education, and strengthening community partnerships, among other interventions.”
Concluding his address, Dr. Demby made an urgent call for greater global action and accountability. “The world does not need more declarations,” he said. “It needs action. We need to act for the mothers still dying, the children still at risk, and the adolescents still unheard. Sierra Leone stands ready to walk this path with you.”