GOL Reaffirms Improved Health System, Launches Safe Motherhood Week
July 8, 2025
Monrovia: The government of Liberia has reaffirmed its commitment to improved health system across the country with clear focus on reducing maternal and newborn morbidly and mortality as Ministry of Health launches safe motherhood week.
Health Ministry Dr. Louise M Kpoto said the Ministry is working tirelessly to strengthen care for mothers and newborn at all levels ensuring quality, respectful and timely care are accessible to every woman every newborn everywhere. We recognize that the health of mothers and newborns are the foundation of a healthy nation.
“Today as we launch safe motherhood week under the theme every birth counts strengthening care for mother and newborn, I stand before you not only as your Minister of health but as a lifelong advocate for mother and newborn an obstetrician gynecologist who has witnessed the joy and tragedies of childbirth Our theme reminds us that every birth is precious and every life matters”. A release from the ministry noted.
Dr. Kpoto said the ministry is scaling up efforts to improve emergency obstetric and neonatal care, as well expand skilled birth attendance and ensure the availability of essential medicines, commodities and address barriers that put lives at risk.
“Let this safe motherhood week and its theme every birth Counts strengthening care for mother and newborn renew our collective resolve to protect mothers to safeguard newborns and to build a future where no women dies giving birth and no newborn dies from preventable causes”.
The minister added “Safe motherhood week is more than a campaign it is a solemn call to action a reminder that woman should lose her life while giving life and no newborn should be denied a healthy start”.
According to WHO, globally 2.3 million children died in the first 28 days of life in 2022. There are approximately 6500 newborn deaths every day, amounting to 47% of all child deaths under the age of 5 years.
The world has made substantial progress in child survival since 1990. Globally, the number of neonatal deaths declined from 5.0 million in 1990 to 2.3 million in 2022.
However, the decline in neonatal mortality from 1990 to 2022 has been slower than that of post-neonatal under-5 mortalities. Moreover, the gains have reduced significantly since 2010, and 64 countries will fall short of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals target for neonatal mortality by 2030 unless urgent action is taken.
WHO says Children continue to face different chances of survival based on where they are born, with sub-Saharan Africa and southern and central Asia bearing the heaviest burden for newborn deaths. Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest neonatal mortality rate in 2022 at 27 deaths per 1000 live births, followed by central and southern Asia with 21 deaths per 1000 live births.
In sub-Saharan Africa the risk of death in the first month of life is 11 times higher than that in the lowest-mortality region, Australia and New Zealand. At country level, NMRs in 2022 ranged from 0.7 death per 1000 live births to 39.4 deaths per 1000 live births, and the risk of dying before the 28th day of life for a child born in the highest-mortality country was about 60 times greater than in the lowest-mortality country.
