MCGL trains health practitioners to reduce maternal mortality

^{_{A trainee practicing safe delivery and child care at the EmONC training in Freetown. February 2022. Photo Credit: Abdul Sillah, Save the Children}}

The Momentum Country Global Leadership (MCGL) project has trained 12 master trainers from four operational districts on Emergency Obstetrics Newborn Care (EmONC).  

Selected across Midwifery schools in Sierra Leone, the master trainers will be capacitated to roll out the training to 53 Health Facilities in Save the Children operational districts of; Western Area Urban, Western Area Rural, Kailahun and Pujehun to support government efforts to reduce high maternal and infant mortality rates.
 
Maternal mortality rates in Sierra Leone is amongst the highest in the world, with 717 mothers dying in every 100,000 live births.  Neonatal death is also among the highest globally. According to UNICEF most of these deaths are preventable if managed by skilled health providers.

Master trainers tested their newly acquired skills on health facility staff from Lumley, King Herman road and Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (Freetown) to ensure competence to cascade to others.

Mariama Momoh, national EmONC training coordinator at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, said the training methodology was one of the best they have had so far.

“This Low Dose, High Frequency training methodology looks way more advanced and easy to apply.” She said.
“As  EmONC coordinator in the country, I have already recommended the use this methodology in all our training because it helps the trainer understand how to pass on knowledge at community level.

To reduce maternal mortality, we have a series of things that we need to put in place like availability of drugs, equipment and other enablers. This training is just one aspect of what we need to be able to reduce maternal mortality to at least 500 out of every 100,000 live births.

“I implore government to make sure all equipment used in this training are available at every health facility because that is the best way we will be able to practice and implement all that we have learnt.”