What am I doing? 

I’m taking part in the Al-Noor Annual Boat Race is an event, which has been established by the Al-Noor Foundation in the summer of 2018, at Fairlop Waters in the London Borough of Redbridge. The next event will take place summer 2020.

I’m doing this to raise funds for Muntada Aid in partnership with Life for African Mothers is committed to supporting the local communities and the Government of Sierra Leone to train and empower the maternal health practitioner in 8 districts ( Portloko, Moyamba, Bombali, Kenema, Bonth, Tonkkolili, Kono and Kambia) and also provide mothers with vital medicines.  

What is Muntada Aid doing?

We are aiming at a 50% reduction in maternal mortality in 8 districts by the end of 2020 in Sierra Leone.   

Every day 8 mothers die unnecessarily during childbirth.

Why Sierra Leone?

Sierra Leone is a dangerous place for mothers. It has one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, at an estimated 1,165 deaths per 100,000 live births.  According to the World Health Organisation, the high level of maternal deaths in the country is alarming. The WHO report estimates that up to that seven in ten maternal deaths currently go unreported. According to various reports, 99% of all these deaths are avoidable with the right medical care and resources.

Currently, just 60% of women in labour have a skilled birth attendant in the country. The Sierra Leone health system is facing unprecedented challenges due to chronic underfunding, a heavy diseases burden and vastly skewed distribution of skilled human resources.

In Sierra Leone key challenges for maternal and neonatal health include lack of continuous training for midwives and birth attendants, limited access to medicines and poor understanding within the community about the support available in childbirth.

Project Summary 

The long-term aim of the project is building maternal healthcare training and capacity across Sierra Leone.

In 2020, we are aiming to provide cost-free 400,000 tablets of Misoprostol, essential to treat postpartum bleeding in childbirth to healthcare facilities in the eight districts and midwifery training to 100 professionals.