The Nixon Memorial Hospital in Sierra Leone

The 12-year civil war which threaten to tear Sierra Leone apart also wreaked devastation on the hospital itself.

The staff at the Methodist Church-run hospital, which has just one doctor, do their best to provide their patients with the best possible care in a country that has been designated by the United Nations as one of the most dangerous in the world to have a child.

One in eight women die in childbirth in Sierra Leone– a level of maternal mortality that puts the African nation at the bottom of the world league table.

Michael Tettey, Nixon Memorial Hospital’s business manager, said: “There are a lot of challenges facing the country but really it’s around maternal mortality and infant mortality – as a health service provider, these are the main areas we need to focus on.

“We also need to make sure access to healthcare is as easy as possible and as cheap as possible.

“The challenges are enormous, for us particularly, it’s making sure people can access good quality drugs and well-trained staff who can deliver the services to people.”

In addition to its poor record on maternal mortality, Sierra Leonehas the second highest infant mortality rate in the world with 154 deaths for every 1,000 live births. It also suffers epidemic outbreaks of such diseases as yellow fever, cholera, Lassa fever and meningitis.

At Merrow Methodist Church we have raised funds on a regular basis for this project.