Monrovia – Thomas Price, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the first of President Donald Trump’s cabinet to visit Liberia.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
On Wednesday he paid a one day visit to Liberia where he met officials of the Health sectors and Liberia’s President upon her departure to the U.S. Mr. Price was in February confirmed by the U.S Senate.
During the Ebola outbreak the United States helped in establishing Ebola centers, training contact tracers, and health practitioners.
At the ceremony, Secretary Price thanked the Liberian government for the work and successful partnership with the U.S. government.
“Together we are working to improve the health of Liberians, while helping to maintain the health security of the United States and the entire world,”
“Additionally, I want to recognize and express my deep pride in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services staff here on the ground in Liberia—including doctors, nurses, public health workers, and experts from across the Department including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and Health Services and Resources Administration,” he states.
Price said the work of health and practitioners for the work to promote global health security and their commitment to find and stop disease outbreaks in Liberia and around the world—“whether they are natural, accidental, or deliberate—keeps Americans and others around the world safe.”
Secretary said of the partnership between the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the people of Liberia has been one of mutual cooperation and has had a lasting effect on the stability, health and well-being of Americans and Liberians alike.
He added that the people who are now trained are key to achieving lasting national health security.
“Together we have much to be proud of, specifically Liberia’s progress in the ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats,” Secretary Price.
“We are here this week to promote global health security and to express President Trump and his Administration’s appreciation for this great work being done here in Liberia.
“We know that by ensuring that all countries around the world are better prepared to prevent, detect, respond to, and control disease outbreaks at the local level, we can reduce the threat of international health emergencies,” said U.S. Secretary of HHS.
Secretary Price said the United States and the Department of Health and Human Services are committed to working with Liberia to address the remaining challenges in Liberia’s recovery from the devastating effects of the Ebola outbreak, and we look forward to continuing to work side-by-side to improve disease detection, enhance laboratory services, maintain a rapid and effective emergency response, and develop the health workforce.
Also speaking, Health Minister Bernice Dahn recounted the US enormous support to rebuilding Liberia’s resilience Health system.
Dr. Dahn said the visit of Secretary Prize marks an important history and development in Liberia’s health system and demonstrates the United States continues support to Liberia’s health agenda.
She states: “A key innovation in our health sector partnership with the U.S. government came in 2011 when the first fixed amount reimbursement agreement or FARA was signed between USAID and the Liberian government, this program by which USAID reimbursed the government of Liberia for successful implementation of specified activities and outputs has been improving the capacity for the country’s system and have helped us to take a large step in the direction of government-led development in the health sector.”
“The proliferation of projects and partnership funded by the U.S. government is representative of rich and robust collaborations, we look forward not only to its continuation bit to its evolution as we work together to advance Liberia’s national agenda and achieve our vision for a resilient health care delivery system,” Dr. Dahn said.