Published: July 25, 2025
SUAKOKO DISTRICT, Bong County — With no electricity, broken windows, and snakes slithering in at night, the once-reliable Phebe Maternal Waiting Home has become a death trap for pregnant women—forcing midwives to beg for mattresses and light. At the same time, maternal health in rural Liberia collapses around them.
Tucked beside Phebe Hospital in Bong County, the maternal waiting home was designed to be a refuge for expectant mothers in the final stages of pregnancy. Today, it’s a crumbling shell of its former self.
“We’ve been without electricity for almost two years,” says Madam Viola K. Makor, head of midwifery services and a veteran maternal health worker. “At night, the entire compound goes dark. We’re surrounded by bush, there are hardly any guards, and people even illegally wire the place to draw current. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
The power outages are only part of the crisis. Inside the facility, windows are shattered or missing entirely, exposing pregnant women to mosquitoes and the risk of malaria—one of Liberia’s top killers of mothers and newborns. Snake sightings at night are common. Mattresses are so worn that they barely qualify as bedding.
“Some nights, the women scream because snakes come near the building,” Madam Makor says. “We’ve been asking for new mattresses and window repairs since 2018, when Africa Health pulled out after the elections. A few repairs started but were never finished.”
Across rural Liberia, the story is the same. A 2023 Ministry of Health assessment found that over 60 percent of maternal waiting homes in counties such as Bong, Grand Bassa, and Lofa are in similar or worse condition—lacking basic amenities like electricity, toilets, mosquito nets, beds, and food. Women often bring their supplies or sleep on floors, waiting days for delivery with minimal support.
This local crisis is tied to a broader national emergency. UNFPA reports that only 52 percent of pregnant women in Liberia give birth in health facilities. The country’s maternal mortality rate stands at 742 deaths per 100,000 live births—among the worst in the world. A 2022 WHO joint review also highlighted serious infrastructure breakdowns in maternity units, particularly in under-resourced rural areas. UNICEF found many facilities falling short of even the most basic standards for respectful and safe maternal care.
Despite the efforts of global health partners like USAID, UNFPA, Last Mile Health, and Partners In Health, infrastructure gaps persist. While donor investments have helped train midwives and improve referrals, the breakdown lies in local oversight and long-term maintenance—especially in remote facilities like Phebe’s.
For the women who walk hours or even days to reach Suakoko, the waiting home is supposed to be a place of safety before labor. Instead, it has become a place of anxiety and exposure. “We come here hoping for help, but it feels like no one remembers us,” says one young mother who asked not to be named.
Madam Makor, who has spent decades delivering babies and comforting frightened mothers, says she is tired of asking—but won’t stop. “Even one mattress, even one repaired window would make a difference,” she says. “We tell our story because maybe someone will hear it and act. People need to come here and see it for themselves. This isn’t just my story. It’s Liberia’s maternal crisis.”
As heavy rains worsen conditions and malaria cases rise, time is running out for the Phebe Maternal Waiting Home. Without urgent intervention, what was once a beacon of maternal care could close its doors for good—leaving hundreds of women without a safe path to childbirth.
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