One of MSI’s oldest programs, MSI Sierra Leone opened its doors in 1986. Since then, the program has expanded its reach to cover 14 regions across the country.
The need for reproductive healthcare is urgent. Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of pregnancy-related deaths in the world, and unsafe abortions cause an estimated 10% of those deaths. The country also has a high rate of teenage pregnancy—nearly one-third of girls there become mothers before age 19.
Known locally as “the mother of health,” MSI Sierra Leone has experience reaching the most marginalized, even in times of crisis. The program continued to provide services throughout the decade-long civil war (and was the only NGO to do so) as well as the Ebola health crisis in 2015. Outreach teams travel to reach the poorest and most remote communities, providing a full range of contraceptive methods as well as care after unsafe abortion for women in need.
