Sierra Leone: Obstetric Violence Deadly for Sierra Leone Women, Newborns

Reform Systems that Undermine Women’s Rights

• Women giving birth in public hospitals in Sierra Leone who are unable to pay informal fees face dangerous neglect and abuse by health care providers, in some cases leading to the deaths of women or their newborns.
• Sierra Leone’s progress on maternal healthcare is being undermined by a lack of resources in public hospitals and the use of volunteer staff, even though the government policy is that such care should be free.
• The government should provide…