Helping Women in Liberia Take Charge of Health

Two weeks before her baby was due, Cecilia packed and left her house. If she waited, she would have to give birth at home or walk four hours while in labor – perhaps at night or through the rain – to reach the John Logan Town Clinic, the closest health center to her home in Liberia. The health center in remote John Logan Town as originally built to isolate Ebola cases during the 2014 epidemic. The Liberian government planned to close the clinic in 2015 when the Ebola crisis ended, but Americares had committed to strengthening the county health care system and kept the clinic open, providing staff salaries, medicine and medical supplies. The clinic now provides primary care with a focus on maternal, newborn and child health and serves a community of more than 25,000. Americares also trains and supports community health volunteers who spread information about disease prevention and services – including prenatal care-available at the facility. In just its first 10 months open withAmericares support, the clinic treated more than 5,600 patients, including more than 2,500 children under age 5 and 64 mothers who gave birth at the facility-including Cecilia. Living in one of the poorest villages in Liberia, Cecilia was able to receive proper healthcare and a successful delivery of her child, due to the help she received from Americares. 

The people of John Logan Town know how valuable the clinic is. "Let the light continue to shine in the community," says Daniel, a village elder describing the clinic, "Don’t let the light go out!" 

Within the last year, in order to reduce the threat of illness and death during and after childbirth, Americareshas improved on educating health workers in the Grand Bassa county health centers in order to decrease the percentage of maternal deaths due to Postpartum Hemorrhage. Clinics have been introduced to new medications and medical supplies along with greater education for their health workers. Ensuring proper infrastructure is available and successfully implementing maternity wards have also been a priority for Americares. In order to bring more women to the facility and increase their chances of safe childbirth, Americares has also hired a community outreach specialist, who hastrained traditional midwives to recognize danger signs and accompany women to the hospital for prenatal care, delivery and postnatal care.  

Cecilia's story is just one example of the work being done by Americares in Liberia for our overall Maternal and Child Health work there. As we continue our work in Grand Bassa County, we hope to expand to new facilities and begin work on a fistula program, reaching a critically underserved section of the community in the region.  

Thank you again for your continued support!