Monrovia – The Ministry of Health on Monday launched “Safe Motherhood Week,” a nationwide campaign aimed at reducing maternal and newborn deaths across the country.
Held under the theme “Every Birth Counts: Strengthening Care for Mother and Newborn,” the campaign emphasizes the government’s commitment to ensuring that every mother and baby receives quality and timely healthcare services.
Health Minister Dr. Louise Mapleh Kpoto, speaking at the official launch, described the weeklong event as more than a symbolic campaign. “I stand before you not only as your Minister of Health but as a lifelong advocate for mothers and newborns — an obstetrician-gynecologist who has witnessed both the joys and the tragedies of childbirth,” she said.
Dr. Kpoto stressed that Safe Motherhood Week serves as a solemn call to action. “No woman should lose her life while giving life, and no newborn should be denied a healthy start,” she added.
According to the Minister, the Government of Liberia is intensifying efforts to improve the health system, with a specific focus on reducing maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality.
“We are working tirelessly to strengthen care for mothers and newborns at all levels — ensuring that quality, respectful, and timely care is accessible to every woman, every newborn, everywhere,” she said.
Dr. Kpoto also announced that the Ministry is scaling up emergency obstetric and neonatal care services, increasing skilled birth attendance, ensuring the availability of essential medicines, and tackling structural barriers that endanger the lives of mothers and babies.
“The health of mothers and newborns is the foundation of a healthy nation,” she stated.
“Let this Safe Motherhood Week renew our collective resolve: to protect mothers, safeguard newborns, and build a future where no woman dies giving birth and no newborn dies from preventable causes,” Dr. Kpoto added.
