The report of Amnesty International has indicted the government that Women in Sierra Leone have a one-in-eight chance of dying from the complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth.
Thousands of girls and young women are dying each year from problems that are easily treatable if resources were made available. Most of the deaths occur in the home, others while making hazardous journeys in private transport. Others die in spite of reaching a health facility because the necessary treatment is unavailable.
The report notes the effect of various delays in the system. Initially women delay seeking treatment for complications because of a lack of knowledge or lack of money. Further delays occur once a decision has been taken to seek help due to poor transport infrastructure.
The report stated that on average an 11-mile journey is needed to reach the nearest hospital or clinic. Once at a medical facility further delays can result from the lack of finance to pay for the treatment or because of a lack of staff or necessary resources at the facility.
The major causes of maternal death are obstructed labour, haemorrhage, anemia and ruptured uterus. Another major cause is the lack of safe blood transfusion facilities. These are relatively simple things to overcome, given sufficient resources.
According to the findings, less than 20 percent of births occur in a medical facility; about 40 percent of women giving birth have the support of a skilled attendant. The lack of midwifery staff and medical intervention contributes to the deaths. Of the 13 administrative districts that make up Sierra Leone, six of them provide no obstetric care. Only about 10 percent of women have access to contraceptives, making unplanned and risky pregnancies the lot of most.
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