The issue of maternal mortality is complex in Liberia, involving factors such as high levels of teen pregnancy, low access and quality of family planning and contraceptive services, lack of access to maternal health services, etc. The team has decided to focus on the emergency obstetric care for a number of reasons.  Currently, there are various obstacles to pregnant women receiving EmOC including inadequate referral systems, lack of knowledge of risk factors among pregnant women, poor supply chain for drugs and supplies, and lack of implementation of standard treatment guidelines for EmOC services at the health facility level.  

The Basic Package of Health Services was developed by the MOHSW and outlines the basic level of services that the government is assuring for each person. The MOHSW has determined staffing requirements, equipment, drug and supply levels at EmOC centers and are assigning staff and procuring required supplies. This project will focus on developing a community level system of tracking pregnant women throughout their pregnancy, assuring that they have the access to care for their 4 prenatal visits and emergency transportation if needed to an EMoC center that is  properly staffed to deliver these mothers. With a strong community based infrastructure the care of the pregnant woman will improve and subsequently the rate of maternal mortality will improve.    

For more detailed information, please see the links on the right.  The health system summary gives a brief overview of the history of health and practices in Liberia.  The implementation and evaluation plan details Liberia's problem statement, the process of evaluating strategies to address it, and the plan to implement the chosen strategy.