Integrating Public Health Approaches in the Management of Maternal Health: Addressing Obstetric Complications in Sierra Leone

Maternal health continues to be one of the significant challenges faced by the people of Sierra Leone, driven mainly by obstetric complications and systemic healthcare limitations. Many efforts to enhance clinical care, including managing maternal health, must actively incorporate public health approaches. This narrative review assesses the role played by public health interventions in the fight against obstetric complications in Sierra Leone and recommends strategies for integrating public health and clinical care to improve maternal outcomes. We meticulously conducted an in-depth review of a wide range of peer-reviewed literature and detailed reports and established public health frameworks specifically focused on enhancing maternal health within environments marked by limited resources. The study delved into how critical public health strategies can make a real difference in the well-being of mothers. We are seeing promising improvements in maternal health by ensuring communities have the proper health education, reaching out to expectant mothers with the care they need, and ensuring they have access to professionals during childbirth. However, the journey does not stop there. The research also sheds light on the hurdles we still face, such as the gaps in our healthcare systems, the societal factors that affect health, and the pressing need to boost our health services’ capacity. These findings suggest that combining public health strategies with clinical obstetric care could significantly reduce maternal mortality rates and improve health outcomes by addressing medical and social risk factors. However, none will be achievable in the long run without collaboration between healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and the community.