In a bold step toward safeguarding the rights and futures of young girls, Marie Stopes Sierra Leone has unveiled a comprehensive national strategy aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy and ending child marriage by 2030. The initiative was launched on May 15, 2025, during a key stakeholder engagement session held at Iyces Hall, Waterloo, Freetown.
The event marked the formal rollout of the National Strategy for the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy and Ending Child Marriage, a multisectoral plan designed to integrate health, education, legal reform, and community engagement into one unified approach.
A National Mission Backed by Global Goals
The strategy supports key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including target 3.7—universal access to family planning—and target 5.3—eliminating child marriage. It sets an ambitious target: reduce adolescent pregnancy from 21% in 2020 to 10% by 2030, and eradicate child marriage entirely within that same period.
Marie Stopes at the Forefront of Change
Sandi Massaquoi, Communication and External Relations Manager at Marie Stopes Sierra Leone (MSSL), emphasized the organization’s continued leadership in the field of reproductive health. “We’ve been serving Sierra Leone since 1986, providing affordable, high-quality SRH services nationwide,” Massaquoi said. Now a registered local NGO, MSSL is part of the global MSI Reproductive Choices network.
He noted that in 2022 alone, MSSL’s interventions saved the government approximately GBP 10.3 million in healthcare costs—underscoring the economic benefits of investing in reproductive health.
Alarming Statistics and Legal Milestones
Victor Karimu, Advocacy and Communication Lead at the Teenage Pregnancy Secretariat, painted a sobering picture: adolescents made up 12.4% of Sierra Leone’s population in 2020, and despite past strategies in 2013 and 2018, child marriage and teen pregnancies remain major threats.
He highlighted the recent passage of the Prohibition Against Child Marriage Act 2024, signed into law by President Julius Maada Bio, as a critical legal victory. However, Karimu stressed that laws alone are not enough without coordinated implementation and community ownership.
11 Strategic Pillars for Real Change
The new national strategy is anchored on 11 pillars, including Public Health Policy, Legal Framework, Education, Community Engagement, Social Assistance, Leadership, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Financing.
“This strategy is more than just a document—it’s a call to action,” Karimu stated. “We need sustained effort from government, civil society, and development partners if we are to break the cycle of poverty and inequality caused by early pregnancy and forced marriage.”
The strategy rollout signals a renewed and determined national commitment to protecting young girls and promoting gender equality—one that puts their health, education, and future opportunities at the center of Sierra Leone’s development agenda.
By Musa Karim
