By Mariama Bundu
In a momentous step toward transforming maternal and child healthcare in Sierra Leone, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio on Saturday, 25th October 2025, officially inaugurated the Paul E. Farmer Maternal Centre of Excellence in Kono District. The state-of-the-art facility stands as a symbol of partnership, progress, and renewed commitment to ending preventable maternal deaths across the nation.
The new centre — built in collaboration with Partners in Health (PIH), the Ministry of Health, and Build Health International — is named in honor of Dr. Paul Edward Farmer, the late Co-Founder of Partners in Health and a renowned global health advocate whose vision was to make quality healthcare accessible to the world’s most vulnerable.
The multi-million-dollar facility features cutting-edge medical infrastructure, including expanded maternity wards, fully equipped surgical theatres, an adolescent-friendly unit, and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) designed to provide specialized treatment for premature and critically ill newborns. The centre also incorporates training spaces for healthcare professionals, making it both a hospital and a learning hub for sustainable medical capacity building in Sierra Leone.
Speaking during the inauguration, President Bio described the new centre as “a monumental leap forward” in his administration’s drive to improve healthcare outcomes, particularly for women and children. “We believe every woman deserves a safe childbirth, and every child deserves a healthy start,” he declared. “This facility represents our nation’s unwavering commitment to equity in healthcare and our determination to ensure that no mother dies while giving life.”
The President expressed profound appreciation to Partners in Health for their steadfast collaboration and to the people of Kono for their patience and support throughout the construction process. He emphasized that the project was more than just a medical investment — it was a humanitarian statement of dignity, hope, and the belief that access to quality healthcare should not be determined by geography or income.
For decades, Kono has stood as one of Sierra Leone’s most resource-rich yet medically underserved regions. Despite its vast diamond wealth, maternal and neonatal mortality rates have remained among the highest in the country. The establishment of the Paul E. Farmer Maternal Centre of Excellence marks a turning point in that narrative, bringing world-class maternal healthcare services to the heart of eastern Sierra Leone.
The facility is expected to serve thousands of women and children annually, not only from Kono but from surrounding districts and neighboring countries. With the new centre’s advanced resources and personnel, Sierra Leone moves closer to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) — ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages.
Representatives from Partners in Health praised the government’s commitment and reaffirmed their dedication to Dr. Farmer’s lifelong mission of delivering “healthcare as a human right.” The organization highlighted that the facility would not only provide clinical care but also serve as a model for health system strengthening, integrating community outreach, maternal education, and data-driven accountability.
“This is the kind of work Paul Farmer envisioned — a system that reaches the poor with compassion, competence, and justice,” said a PIH representative. “The Paul E. Farmer Centre of Excellence will stand as a living legacy of his belief that every mother and every child matters.”
At the ceremony, emotional testimonies came from local mothers, midwives, and community leaders who hailed the new centre as a long-awaited miracle. Mariatu Kallon, a nurse who has worked in Koidu for over a decade, shared that too many women had lost their lives due to lack of equipment and trained personnel. “Today, we finally have hope,” she said. “This centre means no mother should die because of where she lives or how much she earns.”
Community elders also applauded the project for restoring pride to Kono, turning the region from a symbol of resource extraction into one of human development and care.
President Bio reiterated his administration’s commitment to making maternal and child health a national priority, pledging continued investment in healthcare infrastructure, professional training, and equitable access across Sierra Leone. “Our mothers are the lifeblood of our nation,” he said. “When we protect them, we secure our future.”
The opening of the Paul E. Farmer Maternal Centre of Excellence represents more than a medical achievement; it is a reflection of Sierra Leone’s journey toward resilience and renewal — a nation learning from its past and investing in the health and dignity of its people.
As the ribbon was cut and the doors of the new facility opened, the crowd in Kono erupted in applause — not just for a new hospital, but for the promise of a healthier, safer, and more hopeful Sierra Leone.
