Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday released a report documenting widespread obstetric violence faced by women giving birth in public healthcare facilities in Sierra Leone.

In its 80-page report , “No Money, No Care: Obstetric Violence in Sierra Leone,” HRW interviewed over 50 postpartum women who suffered health complications because of delayed and denied care due to their inability to pay hospital staff adequately.

Despite the government’s 2010 free health-care initiative , aimed at improving maternal and child mortality rates, the report found that all 50 women still had to pay for some part of their care in public facilities. In 15 documented cases, women in obstetric emergencies were abandoned or had their treatment delayed because they lacked money. Most intervi

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