Orange, UBA team up to upgrade York PHU maternity ward

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Orange Foundation Sierra Leone and the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to rehabilitate the maternity ward at the York Peripheral Health Unit (PHU), strengthening efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

The agreement signed on Tuesday marks a significant step toward improving access to safe and quality maternal healthcare in the York community.

Speaking at the ceremony, Orange Foundation Director Annie Wonnie-Katta described the partnership as a major milestone in advancing maternal and newborn health. She noted that the initiative builds on community-based interventions launched by the foundation in 2019 and reflects a shared commitment to ensuring safe, dignified, and quality healthcare services for women and newborns.

Country Director of Mama Pikin Foundation, Ms. Leeann Rizk, said the rehabilitation would have a transformative impact on families, particularly pregnant women who continue to face challenges accessing quality care. She highlighted the delivery bucket and transport support programme, which costs about $10 per mother and has supported more than 20,000 women to choose safe, facility-based deliveries. She also referenced the BellehUman Bato Group (BBG) initiative, launched in 2023, which provides health education, emotional support, and community engagement to rebuild trust in health facilities.

Orange SL CEO, Aïcha Touré, said the project aligns with Orange Foundation’s long-standing commitment to maternal health. She cited improved maternal outcomes and increased rates of safe deliveries under the programme, adding that the decision to rehabilitate the York PHU followed a 2025 assessment that identified critical infrastructure gaps.

Managing Director of UBA Sierra Leone, Mohamed Alhajie Samoura, said the rehabilitation would include upgrades to maternity and postnatal wards, roofing, tiling, and painting, alongside the provision of essential medical equipment such as oxygen resuscitation machines. He emphasized the importance of private sector involvement in supporting sustainable healthcare development.

Minister of Health, Dr. Austin Demby, commended both foundations for their intervention, noting Sierra Leone’s progress in reducing maternal mortality. He called for stronger public-private partnerships to achieve zero preventable maternal and child deaths and assured that the Ministry of Health would provide personnel and technical support to ensure quality service delivery at the York PHU.

Rehabilitation work is expected to commence soon and is anticipated to significantly improve maternal and newborn healthcare outcomes in the York community.