In a nation still grappling with one of the world’s highest maternal mortality burdens, Marie Stopes Sierra Leone opened its doors in 1986 and has since expanded its reach across 14 regions of the country. On Tuesday, in the presence of Deputy Minister of Health 1, Professor Dr. Charles Senessie, and senior government officials, the organisation marked four decades of work by unveiling its most ambitious project yet: the Lamina Sankoh Centre, a purpose-built facility in central Freetown that consolidates sexual and reproductive healthcare services under a single roof.
The opening arrives at a critical moment. Sierra Leone’s maternal mortality remains estimated at 354 per 100,000 live births, with under-five mortality at 94.3 per 1,000 live births. Though these figures represent substantial progress the country’s maternal mortality ratio has declined by 79 per cent from 1,682 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 354 in 2023 the absolute death toll remains staggering. Behind each statistic lies a woman whose pregnancy became a death sentence, often from preventable causes.
Mohamed Kabba, Country Director of Marie Stopes Sierra Leone, positioned the centre as proof of principle. “This Centre is proof that the people of Sierra Leone deserve world-class healthcare and that we will not stop building until every woman, every girl, and every family can access it,” he said at the opening ceremony. The facility offers a comprehensive service spectrum: family planning and contraception, maternal health services, cervical cancer screening and breast health services, laboratory diagnostics, pharmacy operations, ultrasound imaging, general medical consultations, and health insurance facilitation.
Deputy Minister Senessie, whose appointment in 2023 has positioned him as a key figure in Sierra Leone’s health policy agenda, echoed the government’s commitment to the facility as a blueprint for expanded service delivery. “Through your work, we continue to see fewer unintended pregnancies and the provision of youth-friendly services. MSSL’s work complements the Ministry of Health’s efforts,” the deputy minister noted in remarks that framed the centre within the broader government drive toward universal health coverage.
The timing of this investment reflects a national consensus that has crystallised over recent months. The Princess Christian Maternity Hospital, Sierra Leone’s foremost public maternity facility, recorded a 22 per cent reduction in maternal deaths between 2024 and 2025, falling from 84 cases to 64. Officials attribute this decline to coordinated investments in specialist staffing, training, and health system strengthening the same logic driving the Lamina Sankoh Centre’s construction.
Yet the opening exposes a persistent fault line in Sierra Leone’s healthcare geography. The centre sits in Freetown, the capital, where infrastructure, electricity, trained staff, and client foot traffic concentrate. Recent analysis by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health found that while skilled birth attendance remains high, coverage of at least four antenatal care visits was suboptimal, with disparities in maternal healthcare delivery services persisting across districts. The poorest women those in Koinadugu, Pujehun, Tonkolili, or other peripheral districts may benefit from MSSL’s expanded capacity only if referral networks function, transport costs prove affordable, and they can afford to travel. The facility’s existence in Freetown does not alter these structural barriers.
Throughout its long history, Marie Stopes Sierra Leone has been known locally as “de mammy fo welbodi” or “the mother of health”, and has reliably been there for women, including the poorest and most marginalised. The programme continued to provide services throughout the decade-long civil war, and was the only NGO to do so, as well as during the Ebola health crisis in 2015. This reputation grounds the centre’s opening in genuine organisational credibility MSSL did not flee during Sierra Leone’s crises.
The centre’s launch included a “40 Years of Impact” exhibition showcasing client testimonies, staff contributions, and institutional milestones, alongside the unveiling of a commemorative plaque and a special 40th anniversary publication documenting MSSL’s journey. The events positioned the opening as both celebration and milestone in a longer accountability narrative.
As MSSL enters its fifth decade, the organisation has committed to ensuring access to quality healthcare, accurate information, and informed choice for every individual. The question now is not whether the Lamina Sankoh Centre will serve well those able to reach it—the evidence suggests it will but whether MSSL’s investments can ripple beyond the capital’s boundaries, and whether structural inequities in access persist even as facility-level improvements advance.
