Every woman deserves dignified, advanced, specialty health care that allows her to define her future.
In Kono, Sierra Leone—a global epicenter of maternal mortality, where women face a 1 in 20 lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth—we’re taking the next step to make this idea a reality. In partnership with the Ministry of Health & Sanitation, we’re building a state-of-the-art teaching hospital dedicated to women and children:
The Maternal Center of Excellence
Alongside the Ministry of Health & Sanitation and Build Health International, we’ve designed a clinically advanced, environmentally conscious, culturally embedded facility at PIH-supported Koidu Government Hospital that will save and transform families’ lives; train new generations of equity-minded clinicians; serve as a replicable blueprint for future investments in women and children’s health across Sierra Leone and globally; and stand as a testament to the value of every woman and girl’s future.
The MCOE’s health offerings and design are expected in wealthy countries, but are unprecedented in Sierra Leone. They’ll set new standards for the level of care that can and should exist everywhere, regardless of poverty or geography:
Pre- and postnatal complications | Routine
labor and delivery | Obstetric emergencies | Surgery |
Neonatal intensive care
Prevention of mother-to-child HIV
transmission | Adolescent health
services | Sexual and gender-based violence care | Mental health counseling
Routine pre- and postnatal care |
Childhood vaccinations | Family planning | Routine
gynecology | Oncology
166 inpatient beds | Outpatient
clinic | Oxygen plant | Blood bank | Intensive Care Unit |
Neonatal ICU | Surgical suite with modern
infection control | Simulation labs and
staff education space | Courtyards and outdoor areas
Use-based energy management | Artificial intelligence-determined design leveraging natural weather patterns for cooling, lighting | Constructed with local materials and labor
And its impacts on health will be invaluable:
121% increase in Facility-based deliveries
140% increase in medically-necessary C-sections
5x increase in family planning visits
Reduced still birth rate to <2%
Reduced facility-based maternal mortality rate to <1%
“Maternal and child mortality in Sierra Leone are emergencies—they’re just emergencies that don’t make headlines. These long-term, systemic problems require long-term, systemic solutions.”
