February 2026 — President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has launched a presidential initiative, 300 Days of Focused Activism, aimed at accelerating the delivery of lifesaving interventions, with a particular emphasis on reducing maternal mortality.
President Bio announced the effort on the sidelines of the African Union Assembly’s 39th Ordinary Session, inviting other African leaders and development partners to join Sierra Leone in a concentrated push to close implementation gaps that continue to cost lives.
The 300 Days of Activism, which will begin on March 1, 2026, aims to improve the continuum of care for pregnant women by prioritising uninterrupted antenatal care, promoting safer deliveries, ensuring rapid response to obstetric complications, and providing comprehensive postnatal follow-up. President Bio emphasised that these are tried-and-true solutions that are often not implemented consistently, and that this initiative will focus on the discipline and accountability required to put policy into action on a daily basis.
He promised that progress during the activism period would be closely monitored, that results would be shared transparently, and that success would be measured in concrete terms, primarily the number of lives saved.
“The urgency is deliberate. Too many maternal deaths continue to occur because known solutions are not consistently implemented,” he said, adding that maternal mortality is reduced not by statements alone, but by “daily decisions and systems that are held accountable for results.” The initiative aims to catalyse rapid, measurable improvements in maternal health outcomes by urging sustained political focus and fostering collaboration across the continent. The campaign’s goal is to turn intent into action over the course of 300 days, demonstrating how concentrated effort and shared accountability can reduce preventable maternal mortality.
