Peter Nderitu, VSO Sierra Leone boss
By Kemo Cham
A new report released Tuesday, October 6, has shed light on the devastating impact of the Ebola virus disease on maternal and child healthcare in Sierra Leone.
The research which was conducted by the Centre for Maternal and Newborn Health of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine found that out of fear of contracting the Ebola virus disease pregnant women decided to stay away from healthcare facilitaties, placing at risk their lives and those of their unborn babies.
The study was carried out between February and July 2015. Data was collected from 81 interviewees and 76 health care facilities across the country where emergency obstetric and newborn care are provided.
The authors found that despite adequate numbers of maternal health workers made themselves available at hospital and health centers, women were too afraid to give birth in the established facilities because they feared they could catch the virus there.
At the height of the epidemic which erupted in Sierra Leone in May 2014, when many health workers caught the virus and died, suspicion grew among the public as to the safety in going near health workers.
The implication of this on the health of would-be mothers and newborn babies is a 30 percent increase in maternal deaths and 24 percent increase in newborn deaths, the study found.
It also found that there was an 18 percent decrease in women accessing antenatal care, 22 percent decrease in women accessing postnatal care, and 11 percent decrease in deliveries at health care centres.
The study was commissioned by the UK charity VSO, which has pldged to continue its support to the healthcare sector.
VSO has been at the center of that breakthrough, working with the Ministry of Health in the area of maternal health.
Its Country Director, Peter Nderitu, said in a statement: "This research shows that Sierra Leone’s health care system was still able to provide basic patient care throughout the Ebola crisis, but the real challenge was lack of public confidence in the safety of those services during that difficult time.”
He added: “Rebuilding public trust in health services is critical to improving maternal and newborn health. VSO will continue to work with the Government by helping to implement their recently launched ‘National Ebola Recovery and Resilience plan’.”
(C) Politico Online 06/10/15
