Government Launches $2.5 Million Reproductive Health Equipment to Boost Healthcare Nationwide

The Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, has officially launched more than $2.5 million worth of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) equipment and medicines to enhance healthcare services across Sierra Leone.

The newly procured supplies, funded by the Government of Sierra Leone through the SRH project, were acquired by the National Medical Supplies Agency (NMSA) and the Integrated Health Projects Administration Unit (IHPAU) as part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

According to Dr. Demby, the initiative demonstrates the government’s continued commitment to modernizing the country’s healthcare infrastructure and ensuring that essential reproductive health tools reach even the most remote communities.

“This investment is a direct response to the needs of our health facilities and the women they serve,” Dr. Demby said. “Every piece of equipment and every vial of medicine launched today brings us closer to ending preventable maternal deaths in Sierra Leone.”

The consignment includes surgical and delivery sets, diagnostic and monitoring tools, sterilization and infection control kits, and advanced machines such as anaesthetic and portable ultrasound devices. Additionally, over 300,000 vials of heat-stable Carbetocin a life-saving drug used to prevent heavy bleeding after childbirth have been distributed to health facilities nationwide.

The initiative is part of Dr. Demby’s “Hubs-and-Spokes” healthcare model, which will link 25 Peripheral Health Units (PHUs) with five major hospitals located in Bo, Bombali, Kenema, and the Western Area. The model aims to improve access to Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) and nutrition services through enhanced referral systems, digital health tools, and training for healthcare workers.

The new investment also supports the Minister’s “life-stages approach” to healthcare delivery, designed to reduce maternal mortality to fewer than 300 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2025 and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of fewer than 70 by 2030.

Officials at the Ministry say this latest intervention will significantly strengthen emergency obstetric care, particularly in health facilities lacking reliable cold-chain systems for medicine storage.

The Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to working with partners to improve reproductive, maternal, child, and adolescent health services nationwide, ensuring that every Sierra Leonean regardless of location has access to safe, quality healthcare.