About us
Marie Stopes is the leading women’s healthcare provider in Sierra Leone.
About Marie Stopes Sierra Leone
We have a long and proud history in the country and are known locally as the leading women’s healthcare provider across Sierra Leone.
Marie Stopes Sierra Leone has been providing Sexual and Reproductive Health and family planning services across Sierra Leone since 1986.
Marie Stopes Sierra Leone (MSSL) is part of a partnership of MSI – Reproductive Choices and we are registered in Sierra Leone as a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) operating within Sierra Leone.
MSSL has been providing access to high-quality and affordable sexual and reproductive health services (SRH) to all people across Sierra Leone since 1986.
As one of the leading specialized SRH providers in Sierra Leone, MSSL works with the Government of Sierra Leone and other stakeholders to ensure the poorest and hardest-to-reach clients access affordable SRH services that meet their needs.
MSSL’s service delivery channels are adapted to fit the different contexts of women in the different districts across the country to maximize opportunities for building a sustainable platform that can provide a lasting impact on the health outcomes of Sierra Leoneans. In 2022, the direct healthcare costs that MSSL services saved the Government of Sierra Leone was GBP 10,293,154 through our service delivery points across the country. MSSL’s strategy was developed to ensure compliance with national strategies around reach, and procurement of family planning (FP) supplies from national supply chains and delivery systems. MSSL is an active participant in the SRH sector in Sierra Leone, including other national and district-level technical working groups.
Our Static Clinics
MSSL has 8 Clinics with professional services providers in Kabala, Makeni, Bo, Kenema, Waterloo Rural, Kissy -Freetown, Waterloo Street – Freetown and Ahmed Drive in Freetown that offer quality comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services (fertility counselling and management, STIs screening, menstrual disorder, ultrasound scan, lab test, menopause counselling and management, etc) including Family Planning, Antenatal Care and Postnatal Care, and general outpatient services to men and women with special attention to adolescent-friendly services across 6 districts in Sierra Leone.
MSSL charges user fees to sustain operating costs and offers subsidized services to those in need.
MSSL also provides cooperate health financing services for organizations with health insurance schemes for their staff.
2022 Impact of Our Static Clinics
Total service lifespan impacts 2022
| Demographic impacts | |
| Unintended pregnancies averted | 6,469 |
| Live births averted | 2,933 |
| Abortions averted | 2,679 |
| Health impacts | |
| Maternal deaths averted | 58 |
| Child deaths averted* | 145 |
| Unsafe abortions averted | 5,858 |
| DALYs and economic impacts | |
| Maternal DALYs averted (mortality and morbidity) | 3,381 |
| Child DALYs averted (mortality) | 12,259 |
| Total DALYs averted | 15,640 |
| Direct healthcare costs saved (2018 GBP) | 304,642 |
| Couple Years of Protection (CYPs) | |
| Total CYPs (FP only) | 14,356 |
Social Marketing
MSSL through its Social Marketing Channel makes medical commodities available to the public and private sectors in Sierra Leone and Liberia through pharmacies, drug stores, clinics, and other outlets.
MSSL has been able to map out existing and potential outlets across Sierra Leone to better understand the market gaps. Informed by the data at hand, MSSL has over 600 outlets in Liberia and over 350 outlets in Sierra Leone as of December 2022.
In 2022, MSSL expanded its basket of Social Marketing products by introducing 4 new products into the Sierra Leone and Liberia markets. These are Flame Condoms Xtra (for longer lasting satisfaction), Flame Condom Xtacy (for greater stimulation), Flame Condoms Xotica (for more intensity) and Well-Plan tablets which is a combined oral contraceptive pill.
2023 Social Marketing Impact
Total service lifespan impacts 2022
| Demographic impacts | |
| Unintended pregnancies averted | 2,430 |
| Live births averted | 1,102 |
| Abortions averted | 1,006 |
| Health impacts | |
| Maternal deaths averted | 140 |
| Child deaths averted | 54 |
| Unsafe abortions averted | 23,707 |
| DALYs and economic impacts | |
| Maternal DALYs averted (mortality & morbidity) | 8,008 |
| Child DALYs averted (mortality) | 4,605 |
| Total DALYs averted | 12,613 |
| Direct healthcare costs saved (2018 GBP) | 405,023 |
| Couple Years of Protection (CYPs) | |
| Total CYPs (FP only) | 8,746 |
Mobile Outreach Clinics
MSSL provides free, high-quality, and safe family planning methods to women, girls and men in rural communities across the country through 14 mobile clinical teams with every team comprising two service providers, one data imputer, a transport assistant, one lead volunteer marketer and 9 Community-based mobilizers who are stationed in their communities – ensuring demand creation within the zones they cover.
Using the infrastructure of public health Clinics, outreach teams increase contraceptive choices in these communities where the existing public and private health clinics struggle to meet the SRH needs of women and men.
2022 Mobile Outreach Clinics Impact
Total service lifespan impacts 2022
| Demographic impacts | |
| Unintended pregnancies averted | 184,366 |
| Live births averted | 83,583 |
| Abortions averted | 76,359 |
| Health impacts | |
| Maternal deaths averted | 1,164 |
| Child deaths averted | 4,132 |
| Unsafe abortions averted | 75,444 |
| DALYs and economic impacts | |
| Maternal DALYs averted (mortality and morbidity) | 67,580 |
| Child DALYs averted (mortality) | 349,354 |
| Total DALYs averted | 416,935 |
| Direct healthcare costs saved (2018 GBP) | 7,445,331 |
| Couple Years of Protection (CYPs) | |
| Total CYPs (FP only) | 400,794 |
Public Sector Strengthening
In strongly supporting the government’s agenda, MSSL works collaboratively with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) in 130 Public Sector Strengthening sites to strengthen the GoSL health system.
This creates a sustainable demand for SRH services as we provide training, competency assessments, joint support supervision with the MoH, and support in commodity management.
MSSL works with community health workers to enhance demand generation for the 130 community health facilities.
2022 PSS Impact
Total service lifespan impacts 2022
| Demographic impacts | |
| Unintended pregnancies averted | 53,104 |
| Live births averted | 24,075 |
| Abortions averted | 21,994 |
| Health impacts | |
| Maternal deaths averted | 338 |
| Child deaths averted | 1,190 |
| Unsafe abortions averted | 21,260 |
| DALYs and economic impacts | |
| Maternal DALYs averted (mortality and morbidity) | 19,623 |
| Child DALYs averted (mortality)* | 100,626 |
| Total DALYs averted | 120,249 |
| Direct healthcare costs saved (2018 GBP) | 2,138,158 |
| Couple Years of Protection (CYPs) | |
| Total CYPs (FP only) | 119,900 |
Our impact
Find out some of the highlights from our latest impact report.
Our partners
We collaborate closely with numerous partners to maximise our impact across Sierra Leone.
People
Find out about our leadership team at Marie Stopes Sierra Leone.
Global leadership team
Marie Stopes Sierra Leone forms part of Marie Stopes International. Meet a few of our wider team.
Our Point of Difference
Champion of women’s health – a commitment to providing high-quality advice and information on the issues that matter, provision of health talks in communities and more.
International quality standards and rigorous clinical QA processes and incident management and reporting
Focus on client care – Site satisfaction statistics and regular experience tracking processes (feedback tools, exit interviews, mystery clients)
Contact Centre – Assures support throughout the client journey, and lists opening hours/day. Toll-free lines, Client counselling and information provision and follow up
Value for money – ensuring high-quality and affordable offerings
Digital systems – professional and easy validation of client information, consistency across Clinics (prevents duplication), the gradual roll-out of electronic health records, ability to track key metrics such as return visits, and visits from corporate clients.
Processes to prevent fraud Innovation: Trialing teleconsultations
