UBA, Orange Join Forces to Strengthen Maternal Healthcare Nationwide

On Tuesday, 3 February 2026, at the Orange Digital Center Hall on 1 Alpha Wurie Drive, Hill Station, Freetown, the UBA Foundation and Orange Sierra Leone formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at transforming maternal healthcare and strengthening community well-being across Sierra Leone. The ceremony, presided over by the Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Austin Demby, was hailed by stakeholders as a landmark public–private partnership in the country’s health sector.

The collaboration is anchored on a shared commitment to delivering lasting social impact, empowering communities, advancing sustainable development, and driving meaningful change through improved maternal and child health services. Both institutions emphasized that the partnership goes beyond conventional corporate social responsibility, positioning it instead as a strategic investment in Sierra Leone’s human capital.

Delivering keynote remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Sierra Leone, Mohamed Alhajie Samoura, highlighted the remarkable progress the country has made in reducing maternal mortality in recent years. He noted that Sierra Leone has recorded one of the sharpest declines globally, reducing maternal deaths from about 1,000 per 100,000 live births to approximately 717, then 500, and now to around 300 and below.

While refraining from announcing the most recent figures pending independent verification, Samoura expressed confidence that the latest data would further reflect significant improvement. He stressed, however, that despite the gains, Sierra Leone remains far from its ultimate goal of zero preventable maternal deaths.

He emphasized that maternal health is not solely a Freetown issue but a nationwide concern affecting both rural and urban communities. According to him, saving mothers’ lives requires sustained support at every stage of life—from pregnancy and safe delivery to early childhood development, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.

Samoura explained that a pregnant woman’s health needs differ fundamentally from those of a newborn, an adolescent, or an elderly person, making a one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare ineffective. He noted that the UBA–Orange initiative seeks to address these differences through a more holistic, inclusive, and responsive healthcare model.

He further underscored that maternal health begins long before the delivery room, particularly during antenatal care, where conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity can be detected and managed early. Strengthening early detection and ensuring continuity of care, he said, are critical to reducing complications that often lead to maternal deaths.

The UBA CEO also highlighted the importance of collaboration among corporate institutions that would ordinarily be competitors. He explained that UBA and Orange chose to prioritize national interest over business rivalry, recognizing that healthier mothers and children ultimately benefit society, the economy, and even their own customer base.

In his remarks, Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Austin Demby, welcomed the partnership, describing it as a model for effective collaboration between the private sector and government to improve healthcare delivery. He noted that infrastructure alone does not save lives, but rather a combination of skilled health workers, adequate equipment, essential medicines, and compassionate care.

The minister called on more corporate entities to emulate the example set by UBA and Orange, stressing that reducing maternal mortality requires collective action from government, civil society, development partners, and the business community.

As Sierra Leone advances its drive toward universal health coverage, the UBA Foundation–Orange Sierra Leone partnership is expected to expand access to maternal health services, enhance quality of care, and strengthen community health systems nationwide.

Both organizations reaffirmed their commitment to supporting pregnant women, newborns, and families, ensuring that every child born in Sierra Leone not only survives but is given the opportunity to thrive