Contrary to popular belief, the world is not headed towards doom and gloom. Over the past few decades, poverty, diseases and premature death rates have significantly decreased worldwide. Close to half of all children used to die before reaching adulthood, but now 96% of the world’s children survive till adulthood. This success is visible in Sierra Leone, where the child mortality rate has reduced by more than half over the past 20 years, despite the country remaining impoverished.
Maternal deaths have also decreased by 74% since 2000, due to increased medical care for pregnant women and infants. Free contraception and medical care are provided for pregnant women in Sierra Leone, significantly improving prenatal care. Though every pregnancy is still a risk, more than 90% of pregnant women in Sierra Leone now receive prenatal care, and deliveries are now mostly assisted by either midwives, nurses or doctors.
Improvements in health have also been made in Sierra Leone’s fight against cervical cancer and obstetric fistulas. While cervical cancer kills more people worldwide than maternal mortality, it receives less attention, but clinics in Sierra Leone are taking steps to tackle it by offering low-cost screening for lesions. Similarly, obstetric fistulas can now be repaired, providing girls the chance to lead normal lives.
Despite progress, challenges such as unrest in neighboring regions like Mali and Burkina Faso remain. However, public perception of global poverty may be incorrect; poverty rates have decreased from 38% to 8% in the past 30 years, but many people still believe that poverty has remained unchanged or has worsened. As a result of portraying only crises in the media, people are unaware of the progress that has been made for global well-being, education and health.
While crises like war and famine require attention, more must also be done to show the progress being made globally. Sierra Leone is making commendable strides in fighting pregnancy-related fatalities, and despite the country’s high-risk environment, improvements in health care have been significant. In fact, the world is getting better day by day, and multiple organizations such as the END Fund, Camfed and Helen Keller Intl are working towards improving the world in their own ways, helping create a brighter future.
So, though there are reasons to be mired in despair, remember to acknowledge the growing number of not hungry children and the share of moms now surviving childbirth. On a visit to one of the poorest countries globally, hope can still be found.
