Fatmata Sesay, 17 years old, delivered her baby at home the previous afternoon in Kanunka village with the assistance of a traditional birth attendant as friends and relatives celebrate a success. Efforts are being made to convince pregnant women to come to a PHU (peripheral health unit) for regular medical checkups during their pregnancy and to deliver their babies here or at the hospital in Kabala. Fines are given to traditional birth attendants for home deliveries. Sierra Leone has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world. A woman has one chance in 8 of dying in childbirth. Factors including povery, traditional influences and lack of transport contribute to women arriving at hospitals too late or choosing risky home births.
Welcome to the winners page for the Northern Short Course Contest! Links to the winners appear below.