Summary:

• A family in Monrovia was forced from their home because the landlord believed her five-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy, a disability caused by damage to the developing brain, was cursed.

• Liberia has laws and a government agency to protect people with disabilities, but they do not do outreach campaigns that would have alerted the mother to her rights and provide no services to thousands of families with children with severe disabilities.

• The National Commission on Disabilities says just US$210,000 is allocated to its public sector investment program. The Commission says it needs at least US$1 million to meet demand.

By Tetee Gebro, gender and health correspondent with New Narratives 

ELWA, Monrovia — Rachel cried as she packed her family’s meagre belongings. The rain from the sky matched the pain in her heart that early Sunday evening in June 2024. Rachel said her landlord had ordered her and her five children to leave. He called her daughter, who has cerebral palsy, a “dragon” and said children like her should not live in his house.

“It broke my heart and took tears from my eyes,” Rachel said. “Up to now, when I think about it, I can still cry.”

Rachel is one of thousands of parents of children with disabilities struggling to survive in Liberia, with a government that, experts say, has failed them. A previous New Narratives/FrontPage Africa investigation documented other families who said they had no government support, faced extreme discrimination and exclusion from schools.

Liberia has laws, a government disability commission and international commitments to protect people with disabilities. But in practice, the government does nothing. Its National Commission on Disabilities, the government agency tasked with assisting these families, does not know how many children have conditions such as cerebral palsy, a disability caused by damage to the developing brain, and profound autism. It has a small fraction of the funds it needs to meet demand. Most families do not even know a government agency exists.

The gaps come as the Human Rights Measurement Initiative released its latest global human rights data in June. The globally recognized measure assesses countries’ performance on economic, social, civil, and political rights. On “empowerment,” an assessment of how well the government is respecting rights, the country ranked “fair” but people with disabilities were ranked fourth most “at risk” of violations of their rights. 

Liberia’s 2022 census found more than half a million people aged five and older  – or about 11 percent of the population – had some level of functional disability. While there is no national data, in 2022 Unicef  estimated about 1 in 7 children in West Africa had moderate to severe disabilities.  

Doctors have expressed heartbreak and frustration at the number of babies they see with cerebral palsy in Liberia. Most cases are preventable and happen when the baby is deprived of oxygen during an emergency birth. Because many women avoid hospital because they do not have the funds to pay for it, and medical staff do not know the signs, there are a higher number of these injuries in Liberia than in countries with better functioning health systems. Rachel said this was exactly the case with her daughter. After a long labor the baby was rushed to hospital but it was too late. (New Narratives withholds the names of children in its reporting to protect them from stigma)

Advocates said that with support services children with severe disabilities and their families can see improvement in their quality of life.

Discrimination and stigma are illegal but there are no protections for families

The discrimination that Rachel and other families have suffered is illegal. Liberia has committed to protecting the rights of people with disabilities. The government established the National Commission on Disabilities under a 2005 law. It has also ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the country’s Children’s Law includes protections for children with disabilities.

But in practice laws are not enforced. Mohamed Sackor, program manager of the National Commission on Disabilities said lawyers advised the Commission it cannot prosecute someone solely on the basis of Liberia’s international treaty commitments without the relevant protections being incorporated into national law.

He said the Commission is working on proposed disability legislation that would strengthen protections, including requirements for schools to provide accessibility and accommodation for children with disabilities. That would need to go to the Legislature but lawmakers often need an active lobbying campaign to agree to such laws. No such campaign is happening now.

Meanwhile cases are widespread according to Urias Pour, executive director of Liberia’s Independent National Commission on Human Rights. He said its monitors have documented children with disabilities being called “dragons”, bullied in schools and having their complaints dismissed.

In one case, Pour said, a 12-year-old girl with a speech impairment went to police to report abuse by a relative. Officers gave her a biscuit and sent her home. “No one looked into the matter because they could not hear her,” Pour said.

Bowoulo Taylor Kelley, vice president of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia, said responsibility cannot rest with the disability commission alone. She said ministries responsible for education, health, gender and justice need systems and funding that allow people with disabilities to exercise their rights.

“Fund and enforce disability rights as a legal obligation and not as charity,” Kelley said. “Our people are not beggars.”

Families also desperately need services to avoid poverty, illness and death

Rachel’s daughter turned five in August. She cannot walk or speak and depends on her mother for almost everything. But when her four siblings talk and play with her, she laughs.

The child’s father stopped supporting his daughter after members of his family called her a witch. Rachel once took him to police and a relative promised he would provide support, but she has received none. Rachel used to earn money washing other people’s clothes but she can no longer easily leave home because her daughter needs constant care. “I can’t turn my back on my child,” Rachel said.

“I carried her for nine months and I suffered, and I am still suffering for her,” said Rachel. “Sometimes I can lock myself up in the room and cry, cry, cry.”

Rachel said her daughter recently became seriously ill and was taken to hospital because Rachel was not able to feed her. The girl will only eat Cream of Wheat mixed with peanut butter. But a small packet of peanut butter costs L$180. When she could not afford it, Rachel softened rice and tried to feed it to her. Her daughter refused to eat.

Rachel said she pawned the deed to her property to a shopkeeper to get a US$5 pack of diapers after the shopkeeper refused to give them to her on credit. Rachel is now starving herself.

“So for that reason my daughter’s body is dropping and it’s hurting me,” Rachel said. “I can’t see my daughter in that condition where she has not eaten and then I take food to eat.”

She wants help starting a small business she can operate from home. The family lives in a makeshift house, and Rachel said she also needs money to repair its floor. Her other four children are also suffering from the financial challenges brought on by her situation.

Government doesn’t know how many children need help 

Sackor said the lack of data on how many children in Liberia have severe disabilities makes it harder for the Commission to identify people who need help and plan services for them. But even if it had the funds, it could not do much.

The Commission has a budget of US$573,00 of which US$210,000 is allocated for its public sector investment program across the entire country. Sackor said it provides educational and technical-vocational assistance and is currently supporting about 150 people in various ways.

“There is a huge pressure on the Commission currently to accommodate more people,” Sackor said.

Sackor said the Commission needs at least a million a year and is hoping the Boakai administration – that recently trumpeted an increase in revenue to more than $1 billion – will agree to an increase in the Commission’s budget next year.

The Commission is working with international partners to improve screening and data collection, including for people with cerebral palsy and profound autism, a severe developmental condition that usually leaves children without language and with limited control of emotions, and requiring constant care.

But there is no coordination of the services that do exist. JFK Medical Center operates a pediatric neurology clinic that treats children with neurological conditions including cerebral palsy. Sackor told FrontPage Africa/New Narratives it did not know about the clinic but would follow up.

For now, Rachel and thousands of other families like hers are battling to survive day by day, afraid for their children and for themselves.

This story was produced in collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Investigating Liberia project.

MONROVIA – A senior executive of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and former Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), Cllr. Dr. Tolbert G. Nyenswah, has called on the Government of Liberia to make concrete financial commitments to healthcare, scientific research, innovation, technology and the development of the country’s public health workforce.

Speaking virtually as a guest speaker at the Fifth Emmet A. Dennis National Scientific Conference, Dr. Nyenswah said Liberia must move beyond its heavy dependence on external assistance and establish reliable domestic financing mechanisms to support healthcare delivery, disease surveillance, laboratories, research institutions and the training of Liberian scientists.

The conference, held under the theme “Strengthening Health Security in Liberia Through Research and Innovation,” brought together scientists, researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, academic institutions and development partners to discuss the future of public health research and health security in Liberia.

Dr. Nyenswah, who currently serves as Director of the Africa CDC Center for Public Health Emergencies Management and is also leading Africa CDC’s work in South Sudan, delivered his address from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he was participating in institutional meetings on the Africa Pooled Procurement Mechanism and Africa CDC’s third-quarter performance review.

Liberia Must Finance Its Own Health Security

Dr. Nyenswah emphasized that one of the greatest weaknesses in Africa’s public health systems remains the lack of predictable domestic financing for disease prevention, preparedness, research and healthcare delivery.

He observed that governments and international partners frequently mobilize substantial resources during major disease outbreaks, but financial support often declines once the immediate emergency ends, leaving essential public health institutions struggling to maintain operations.

“Preparedness cannot depend on the arrival of the next epidemic—or the next donor grant,” Dr. Nyenswah told participants.

He called for increased national budgetary allocations to NPHIL, laboratory services, surveillance systems, public health research and the payment of healthcare workers.

The former NPHIL Director General also proposed the establishment of a National Public Health Research and Innovation Fund, supported by transparent and competitive financing arrangements. Such a fund, he explained, could provide grants to young Liberian scientists, universities and research institutions to investigate priority health problems affecting the country.

He further encouraged serious national discussions on innovative healthcare financing, including national health insurance and universal health coverage, to reduce the financial burden of medical treatment on ordinary Liberian families.

Dr. Nyenswah stressed that international development assistance remains important but should complement, rather than replace, the government’s responsibility to finance essential public services.

Government Must Take Greater Responsibility for Healthcare Delivery

Beyond epidemic preparedness, Dr. Nyenswah challenged Liberia to confront persistent weaknesses in basic healthcare delivery, particularly in rural communities.

He said investments in sophisticated laboratories, emergency operations centers and advanced technologies must be accompanied by government commitments to ensure that health facilities have trained personnel, essential medicines, reliable electricity, functioning equipment and adequate operating budgets.

According to him, Liberia cannot claim meaningful progress in health security while rural clinics remain without essential medicines and families struggle to obtain affordable medical care.

“A child in rural Liberia deserves treatment before a disease becomes an emergency. A pregnant woman deserves skilled care without facing financial ruin,” he declared.

He urged the government to prioritize healthcare worker salaries, medicine procurement, facility maintenance and equitable access to essential health services.

Building on Liberia’s Ebola Experience and the Establishment of NPHIL

Reflecting on Liberia’s experience during the devastating 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic, Dr. Nyenswah recalled the extraordinary sacrifices made by healthcare workers, surveillance officers, laboratory scientists, contact tracers, ambulance drivers, burial teams and community leaders.

As Liberia’s National Ebola Incident Manager, he helped coordinate the national response and subsequently played a leading role in the establishment and operationalization of NPHIL as its founding Director General.

He explained that the establishment of NPHIL was intended to ensure that Liberia would maintain permanent national capacity for disease surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, emergency management, research and workforce development.

During his administration, efforts were undertaken to strengthen emergency operations and incident management capacity across Liberia’s 15 counties, expand field epidemiology training, improve disease surveillance and advance laboratory and biomedical research capacity at the former Liberia Institute for Biomedical Research (LIBR).

“NPHIL was never meant to be an institution that becomes active only when an epidemic begins. It was established to protect Liberia every day,” he emphasized.

He called for continued investment in NPHIL’s institutional capacity, scientific leadership and operational independence within its national mandate.

Investing in Liberian Scientists, Universities and Research Institutions

Dr. Nyenswah devoted a significant portion of his address to the importance of developing Liberia’s own scientific workforce.

He recalled how, during his leadership at NPHIL, the institution worked with the University of Liberia, Emory University, the African Field Epidemiology Network, the United States CDC, WHO and other partners to support curriculum development for the University of Liberia’s first Master of Public Health program.

He also highlighted contributions to the development of Liberia’s first PhD program, recalling that he delivered the keynote address at its official launch.

He said these initiatives were intended to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign institutions for advanced scientific education and create opportunities for Liberians to conduct research on their own national health priorities.

“A country that wants to lead in science must be able to educate its own scientists, support its own faculty and investigate its own health problems,” he stated.

Dr. Nyenswah urged the Government of Liberia, NPHIL, universities and development partners to provide scholarships, research grants, mentorship, laboratory infrastructure and clear professional career pathways for young scientists.

He identified epidemiology, biostatistics, genomic surveillance, bioinformatics, digital health and laboratory sciences as important areas requiring sustained investment.

From Liberia’s Ebola Response to International Scientific Research

Drawing on his professional journey from a young cadet in Liberia’s health sector to senior national and continental public health leadership, Dr. Nyenswah encouraged young Liberians to pursue scientific careers with discipline and determination.

He recalled his earlier work in Liberia’s National Malaria Control Program, where he contributed to reforms that replaced chloroquine-based treatment policy with artemisinin-based combination therapies and expanded malaria prevention and control interventions.

He noted that national malaria prevalence estimates declined from approximately 66 percent in 2004 to 28 percent in 2011, reflecting the combined contributions of government, healthcare workers, communities and development partners.

Following his service in the Liberian government, Dr. Nyenswah pursued advanced academic and research work at Johns Hopkins University and the United States National Institutes of Health.

A graduate of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he earned both Master of Public Health and Doctor of Public Health degrees, he has contributed to 108 peer-reviewed scientific publications, including research published in internationally recognized journals.

He also co-authored Collapse and Resiliency, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, documenting the leadership decisions, challenges and lessons from Liberia’s Ebola epidemic.

He urged Liberian researchers to document and publish their scientific work so that the country’s experiences can contribute to international knowledge and future public health policy.

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Emmet A. Dennis

Dr. Nyenswah described the scientific conference as particularly meaningful because he helped organize its inaugural edition in 2018 while serving as the founding Director General of NPHIL.

The first conference was organized under the theme “Fostering the Culture of Evidence-Based Public Health Practice and Research in Liberia.”

He said the conference’s evolution toward research and innovation demonstrates the importance of moving beyond scientific discussions to practical applications that improve healthcare and protect lives.

Dr. Nyenswah paid tribute to the late Dr. Emmet A. Dennis for his contributions to biomedical research, the University of Liberia and the development of Liberia’s scientific institutions.

He recalled that Dr. Dennis served as a founding member of NPHIL’s Board and that the molecular biology laboratory at LIBR was named in his honor.

He also highlighted Liberia’s research partnerships, including the Partnership for Research on Ebola Vaccines in Liberia (PREVAIL), and initiatives supporting Lassa fever research and vaccine development.

He stressed that international research partnerships should leave behind functioning laboratories, trained Liberian scientists, stronger ethical review systems and opportunities for national research leadership.

Africa CDC Executive Calls for Stronger Regional Cooperation

Addressing the growing threat of infectious diseases across Africa, Dr. Nyenswah emphasized that health emergencies cannot be effectively managed by individual countries acting alone.

He cited Africa CDC’s ongoing work with African Union Member States on disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, rapid response, laboratory systems and cross-border coordination.

Referring to the ongoing Bundibugyo ebolavirus disease outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the surrounding region, he explained that Africa CDC has been supporting preparedness and readiness in 11 high-risk countries.

He said Liberia must continue strengthening practical public health cooperation with Guinea, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire, particularly through shared surveillance systems, cross-border alerts, laboratory referral arrangements and coordinated emergency response mechanisms.

He reminded participants that infectious diseases do not respect national borders and that cooperation agreements must be operational before emergencies occur.

Five Priorities for Liberia’s Scientific Future

In concluding his address, Dr. Nyenswah outlined five priority actions for the Government of Liberia, NPHIL, universities and development partners:

1. Strengthen NPHIL through predictable domestic financing, qualified leadership and sustained investment in laboratories, disease surveillance and emergency preparedness.
2. Invest in scientific education and workforce development, including Liberia’s MPH, PhD and field epidemiology training programs.
3. Establish transparent research and innovation financing, with competitive grants and opportunities for young Liberian scientists.
4. Translate scientific evidence into national policy, ensuring that research findings inform healthcare financing, disease prevention and public health decision-making.
5. Strengthen regional and international scientific partnerships that transfer technology, build institutional capacity and promote Liberian leadership in research.

Dr. Nyenswah also challenged the organizers to assess the conference’s long-term impact by measuring how many young scientists receive research grants, how many scientific papers are published, how many research findings influence government policy and how much domestic financing is committed to science.

He said these measurable achievements would determine whether the conference becomes a genuine instrument for improving public health rather than simply an annual scientific gathering.

Addressing students and young researchers, Dr. Nyenswah encouraged them not to underestimate humble professional beginnings, recalling his own journey from a cadet in Liberia’s health sector to leading the national Ebola response, helping establish NPHIL and serving in continental leadership at Africa CDC.

He thanked Interim NPHIL Director General Dr. Sia Wata Camanor, the organizing committee, participating scientists and academic institutions for sustaining the conference and preserving the legacy of Dr. Emmet A. Dennis.

The Africa CDC senior executive concluded by calling for stronger national commitment to healthcare, research and scientific development, emphasizing that Liberia’s future health security will depend on the investments and policy decisions made today.

END

Bopolu City – Firestone Liberia has raised awareness about its annual free surgery program for children in Gbarpolu County.

By Henry B Gboluma Jr

The program is sponsored by Firestone Liberia in partnership with Children Surgery International (CSI), a medical group from America.

The awareness was carried out by  Justice R. Clarke, Public Affairs Superintendent of Firestone Liberia, on Tuesday, October 13, during the Tuesday Edition of The Daily Talk on the radio in Bopolu City.

After the radio program,  Clarke visited public places including the Emirates Hospital and local markets to share flyers about the event.

According to him, Firestone Liberia and CSI will conduct free surgeries for children from 0 to 13 years at the Firestone Medical Center (Duside Hospital) from January 20 to February 5, 2027.

The surgeries will be for children with ear, nose, and throat problems, cleft lip and cleft palate, hernia, hydrocele, and other conditions.

Clarke said registration and screening are from September 1 to December 15, 2026, every Tuesday and Thursday at the Firestone Medical Center from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. People can also register at the Harbel Health Center.

He explained that after registration and screening, if a child is qualified for the program, the parents will be given a ticket. Before the doctors arrive, all successful registrants will be called to come to the hospital for the free surgery.

He added that while at the hospital, Firestone will be responsible for feeding three times daily and lodging for the parents and children. The only thing parents need to do is to transport themselves to the hospital.

For more information, the public can contact the Harbel Health Center on *0778-62-1180 or 0778-62-1183.

For the Firestone Medical Center (Duside Hospital), call 0776-58-2702, 0775-07-2644, 0775-81-0404, or 0778-50-8977.

He said Firestone Liberia and CSI are working to change children’s lives, one child at a time.

About Firestone Liberia

‎‎Firestone Liberia is one of the oldest and largest companies in Liberia.

The company started its rubber plantation in Liberia in 1926 in Harbel, Margibi County. For almost 100 years, Firestone has been producing natural rubber for export.

‎Besides rubber production, Firestone Liberia operates one of the largest private hospitals in the country, the Firestone Medical Center (Duside Hospital) and also runs schools and other social services.

The company also partners with international medical groups like Children Surgery International (CSI) to provide free medical services to Liberians.

Through this partnership, over thousands of Liberian children have received free surgeries over the years, changing their lives one child at a time.

Summary

• The health ministry has launched a monthly National Exercise and Wellness Day as the country confronts rising risks from hypertension, diabetes, obesity and other chronic or “noncommunicable” diseases.
• A national health survey found nearly one in four adults had raised blood pressure, while six in ten were overweight obese, putting them at heightened risk. Few of those with raised blood pressure are taking medication.
• Health officials are urging Liberians to make physical activity, healthier eating and regular health checks part of their everyday lives.

By Tetee Gebro, gender and health correspondent with New Narratives

CATHOLIC JUNCTION, Monrovia – Rain was falling Saturday morning when Nadia S. Jolo joined a group of people walking from through Monrovia’s streets as part of the country’s first National Exercise and Wellness Day.

For the 51-year-old, getting wet was not enough to turn her back. Just days earlier, Jolo had watched a colleague at work collapse from a stroke. Jolo has hypertension herself. The incident frightened her. So when Jolo, who works with the Ministry of Health’s Malaria Division, heard about Saturday’s walk, she decided to join.

 “I need to exercise. I need to reduce my diet,” Jolo said. 

Jolo is among a growing number of Liberians confronting noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, stroke and diabetes – illnesses that can develop without obvious symptoms and lead to strokes, heart disease and other illnesses, and premature death. Liberians’ vulnerability was documented in a FrontPage Africa/New Narratives series last year. They are called chronic or “lifestyle” diseases because they are mostly caused by lifestyle decisions – a diet heavy in sugar, processed foods and fat – lack of exercise and sleep, smoking and too much stress. NCDs are now the second most common cause of death in Sub Saharan Africa.

Liberia’s 2022 STEPS survey, — a nationwide World Health Organization-supported survey that measures NCDs and their risk factors among adults — found nearly one in four adults aged 18 to 69 had raised blood pressure and almost six in ten were overweight or obese, putting them in the danger zone. More than eight in ten people found with raised blood pressure were not taking medication for it meaning they were at great risk of developing a chronic disease. 

The growing burden has prompted President Joseph Boakai to declare the last Saturday of every month National Exercise and Wellness Day, part of a government effort to encourage physical activity and prevent noncommunicable diseases. Six to eight a.m. on the last Saturday of every month will be reserved for the nationwide observance. It calls on government institutions, businesses, schools and communities to participate in activities including walking, jogging, cycling, stretching, health education and screenings.

“This helps the Ministry of Health to be able to reinforce the issue of physical activity because it helps to minimize those risks,” said Jamesetta Smith, director of the Ministry’s Noncommunicable Diseases and Injury Unit.

Saturday’s inaugural event was a 4.7 kilometer walk from Catholic Junction on Tubman Boulevard to the Ministry of Health off SKD Boulevard in Congo Town. 

Regular physical activity can help prevent and manage NCDs including heart disease and diabetes and can lower the risk of developing hypertension. Health experts also recommend healthier diets, avoiding tobacco and harmful alcohol use, and regular screening for conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

“Most people think you have to go to the supermarket and buy something expensive, but we have potato greens, cassava leaves, we have our palava sauce, our okra,” Smith said.

The Ministry is also urging Liberians to regularly check their blood pressure and blood sugar so that people with abnormal readings can be identified early and referred to health facilities for treatment. And they’re also urging them to make exercise a daily thing.

“We want to enforce it beyond just that one day,” Smith said. “We want to make it as part of our lifestyle and culture in our country.”

The Ministry plans to work with other government agencies and institutions to develop their own exercise routines rather than create a separate government-run exercise program. Institutions can choose their own days for regular physical activity. The initiative is also intended to extend across all 15 counties.

For some participants at Saturday’s event, fitting exercise in has been challenging. Jolo had not exercised regularly in two years. When she was diagnosed with hypertension, her doctor told her to exercise regularly, eat healthier and stop drinking alcohol. She stopped drinking, but her busy work schedule got in the way of her exercising. She says this walk gave her the encouragement she needed to reset.

Ansumana Morris, a 61-year-old retired employee of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company, said a doctor previously told him that his cholesterol was high and advised him to watch his diet and exercise. But Morris admits that he has struggled to exercise. Morris blamed his own “laziness”. “I’ve not been regular,” he said. “Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t.”

He said the new national exercise day could give people like him another reason to get moving. He plans to return for the next event.

Dr. Olushayo Olu, the World Health Organization representative to Liberia, said noncommunicable diseases are increasing in Liberia, as they are in other African countries. One of the dangers, he said, is that people can live with hypertension without realizing it.

“If you have high blood pressure, you don’t know,” Olu said in an interview with New Narratives after participating in Saturday’s walk. “You are fine, you are okay, until you get a problem.”

“Liberians should not only make it a monthly thing,” Olu said. “They can put their exercise regime into their daily life.”

Smith acknowledged that public awareness of noncommunicable diseases remains limited and that funding to address them is inadequate. She said health donors – which have funded more than 50 percent of Liberia’s health care until last year’s cuts – have traditionally directed support toward communicable diseases that need heavy medical intervention including malaria, HIV and tuberculosis. Those donors expect government to take on more of the burden of their own healthcare starting with education.

“It’s now time for our donor community, our government to shift our attention and support to NCDs,” Smith said.

Smith said about 63 health facilities supported by the World Diabetes Foundation are providing free diabetes services and treatment. Government health facilities also provide services for hypertension and diabetes, she said. Some services charge minimal fees intended to help facilities maintain supplies.

The Ministry is also encouraging communities and businesses to organize their own exercise events to serve as an opportunity for early detection. People found with abnormal blood pressure or blood sugar readings can be referred to health facilities. 

For Rosetta Stubblefield, 70, the message about exercise was familiar.

Stubblefield travelled from ELWA Junction to join Saturday’s walk despite the rain. She also has hypertension. She used to exercise but had stopped. After hearing about the government’s exercise day on the radio Friday, she decided to come out.

“You don’t have to have symptoms or be diagnosed,” Stubblefield said. “Your body needs to move.”

For Jolo, however, the warning was more immediate. This time, she said, she knows exercise must be a priority.

“I will join the march every last Saturday,” Jolo said. “And even at my house, I will be doing it in my yard.”

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives.

Summary:

• A nationwide Ebola preparedness assessment found Liberia 69 percent ready overall, while logistics scored only 47 percent, leaving major gaps in equipment, supplies, isolation facilities and training.

• Frontline health workers say those logistics gaps can mean the difference between safely isolating a suspected patient and exposing staff, other patients and communities.

• Health authorities say they are tightening procedures at major points of entry, but the next steps, funding and timetable for closing the gaps remain unclear.

By Augusta S. Lafalay, senior reporter with New Narratives

Liberia has stronger disease surveillance and laboratory systems than it did during the 2014 Ebola crisis, but the country is still only 69 percent prepared to respond to another outbreak, according to a nationwide Ebola preparedness assessment by the National Public Health Institute of Liberia. The weakest area was logistics, which scored just 47 percent.

At a September press conference to release the findings of the assessment, Dr. Sia Wata Camanor, acting Public Health Institute director general, said the country was in the “medium” preparedness range. “We don’t have the tools. We don’t have the materials,” she said. Though the risk remains low, she warned against complacency.

Health experts welcomed the government’s transparency, but they said that the number is more than a technical score. It points to shortages and weaknesses in the things health workers would need first if a suspected Ebola patient arrived at a clinic or hospital: personal protective equipment, functioning isolation space, transport, laboratory supplies, ambulances, trained staff, and a system able to move those resources quickly.

“When we say there is a lack of logistics, it can sound like we are simply talking about supplies. But for a health worker, it is much bigger than that,” said Lela Dolo, executive director of Help a Mother and Newborn in Liberia and a medical student training to become a doctor. “Do I have the personal protective equipment I need? Can a suspected patient be safely isolated and referred? Can a specimen be transported quickly? Is there an ambulance or vehicle available? Can the response team reach the community?”

The question is foremost in the minds of the country’s healthcare workers who bore the brunt of the disease in 2014. If an Ebola case reaches the country, gaps could put frontline workers at risk, slow the response and increase the chance that an infection spreads beyond a health facility and into communities.

The National Public Health Institute of Liberia’s assessment, conducted across all 15 counties, examined surveillance, points of entry, emergency operations centers, laboratories, isolation facilities, county health teams and rapid response structures. Health authorities have said surveillance officers and rapid response teams are operating nationwide, while laboratory testing and specimen transport have improved. But officials also identified the need to replenish protective equipment, maintain isolation facilities, run more simulation exercises and continue training newly deployed health workers.

For Liberia, the warning carries a painful history. During the 2014-2015 epidemic, 378 health care workers in Liberia had confirmed Ebola and 192 died, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention review. Weak infection-prevention systems left health facilities vulnerable, with many lacking triage and isolation protocols, protective gear, or running water early in the crisis.

The toll weakened a health system that was already short of skilled workers. The infected health workers represented about 12 percent of Liberia’s confirmed Ebola cases, even though health workers made up only a small share of the population. Early in the epidemic, many facilities closed after transmission occurred among staff. Health workers who did not feel protected, walked away.

Dolo said the Liberian health system has learned from the last epidemic and has stronger surveillance and response systems. Her concern is whether those systems are backed by the practical resources needed when an emergency begins.

“You can train health workers to recognize Ebola and follow the right protocols, but knowledge alone cannot protect them,” she said. “They also need the tools and systems to safely do what they have been trained to do.”

Joseph Somwarbi, a pharmacologist and former head of the Legislature’s health committee, said logistics failures can quickly become safety failures. He said all  parts of the chain must work together.

A shortage in one part of that chain can put frontline staff in a dangerous position. If protective gear is insufficient health workers may have to delay care or risk exposure. If laboratory agents or specimen transport are unavailable, confirmation can take longer. If supplies are concentrated in Monrovia, rural facilities can lose valuable time waiting for materials to arrive.

“Delay in procurement, delay in transportation means no access,” Somwarbi said. “No access means not available. Not available means you’re not prepared.”

Those weaknesses become especially serious in an Ebola outbreak, he said, because the first response begins before laboratory confirmation. A patient with symptoms and a relevant exposure history must be identified, separated from other patients, reported to surveillance teams, safely assessed and tested, while health workers use infection-prevention measures. Contacts may then need to be identified and monitored.

“When the system is not prepared, even 24 hours is too much of a time for disease to spread,” Somwarbi said.

The threat of Ebola remains constant. The latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the country’s 17^th outbreak) has reached 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths, according to the World Health Organization, making it the second largest outbreak after the 2014 outbreak in West Africa. Experts said cuts to international aid, especially by the United States, have dramatically reduced the capacity to contain the virus. That same outcome would likely play out in Liberia, which relied heavily on U.S. help to stamp out the 2014 outbreak, were the virus to reach the country.

Liberia has responded to the DRC’s outbreak by increasing screening and surveillance at airports, seaports and land crossings. Travelers are required to cooperate with screening and reporting procedures. Procedures, health experts said, are in place to make clear who screens travelers, what happens when someone meets a suspected-case definition, how referral and transport should work, and how information moves from border health staff to surveillance and response teams.

But the country has struggled with capacities at points of entry. A 2024 peer-reviewed evaluation of eight designated Liberian points of entry found gaps in areas including quarantine, communication, water, electricity, transport, and trained personnel.

Experts said the importance of clear procedures was underlined in May, when health authorities monitored 16 travelers arriving from countries of concern. None developed Ebola symptoms during the required 21-day follow-up, according to the Institute. But a WhatsApp voice message circulated claiming suspected Ebola patients had been taken to John F. Kennedy Medical Center, sparking fear and mistrust in the community.

Experts said the incident highlighted a basic communication challenge: officials needed to clearly communicate to the people what they were doing to increase trust. Dr. Camanor’s press conference and transparency about the assessment were a sign the government has learned from the May experience.

From here, Camanor said the assessment findings would be shared with the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization and other partners, and that the National Public Health Institute planned to take the findings to the Ministry of Finance, Cabinet and Legislature to seek support for closing the gaps.

In May, Dr. Louise Kpoto, the health minister, told lawmakers that the Ebola preparedness budget was $US4.2 million.

FrontPage Africa/New Narratives contacted Dr. Kpoto and National Public Health Institute leadership by telephone and email seeking answers on what the government will do next, whether any of the $US4.2 million has been approved or released, a timetable for addressing the gaps, and how progress will be measured. Neither responded by the publication deadline.

Somwarbi said a follow-up assessment would be one way to show whether new spending improves preparedness. That would allow the public and health workers to compare the current weaknesses with what has been fixed, rather than relying only on promises or budget figures.

For Dolo, the practical test is simpler. “If the first suspected Ebola patient walks into a health facility tomorrow, does the health worker who meets that patient have everything they need to recognize the risk, protect themselves, protect other patients and activate the response system immediately?” she asked. “If the answer is not yet a confident yes, then there is still work to do.”

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Investigating Liberia project. Funding was provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The funder had no say in the story’s content.

MONROVIA — The Embassy of India in Liberia has marked the 157th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with a call for peace, nonviolence, dialogue and compassion, while strengthening its humanitarian engagement with Liberia through a donation of medicines to the Group of 77 Disabled Center.

By Patience M. Jones, patiencejones@frontpageafricaonline.com

The celebration, held Friday at the Indian Embassy in Mamba Point, brought together members of the Indian community, government officials, disability advocates, educators, students and other invited guests, including a delegation of Liberian legislators led by Hon. Ellen A. Attoh-Wreh, Chairperson of the Women Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL).

A major highlight of the commemoration was the unveiling of a newly installed bust of Mahatma Gandhi on the lawn of the Embassy’s Chancery.

The Embassy said the bust is intended to serve as a lasting reminder of Gandhi’s philosophy and his call for humanity to choose peace over violence, love over hatred, dialogue over confrontation, compassion over indifference and service over self-interest.

Gandhi Jayanti, observed annually in India as the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, is also commemorated by the United Nations as the International Day of Non-Violence.

Speaking at the ceremony, Indian Ambassador to Liberia Manoj Bihari Verma welcomed the Liberian lawmakers and other guests, describing their participation as a reflection of the growing partnership between India and Liberia.

Ambassador Verma also recalled Gandhi’s famous Talisman, which urges decision-makers to consider how their actions affect the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.

He said Gandhi’s philosophy remains relevant beyond India, emphasizing that his message belongs to humanity as a whole.

For Liberia’s disability community, however, the commemoration carried a more direct humanitarian significance.

As part of the celebration, medicines were donated to the clinic of the Group of 77 Disabled Center by members of the Indian pharmaceutical and business community in Liberia.

The contributions came from Abeer Pharmaceuticals, Lucky Pharmaceuticals, Bunty Pharmaceuticals and other members of the Indian community.

The donation was formally received on behalf of the Group of 77 Disabled Center by Senior Administrator Raymond Kolubah Zarbay Sr. and Deputy Health Services Director Fatu Sirleaf.

Zarbay, speaking on behalf of Madam Synleseh Stephenie Dahn Koung-Second Lady of Liberia and Executive Director of the Group of 77 Disabled Center, expressed appreciation to the Embassy of India, Ambassador Verma and the Indian business community for their support.

He said the donation followed engagements between the Center and the Embassy in November 2025 and September 2026, during which the needs of persons with disabilities and possible areas of cooperation were discussed.

According to him, the medicines will strengthen the Center’s capacity to provide healthcare services to persons with disabilities and surrounding communities.

He also reaffirmed the Center’s commitment to ensuring accountability and responsible distribution of the donated medical supplies.

The medicine donation, the Center said, represents more than material assistance, describing it as a demonstration of solidarity and friendship between the Indian and Liberian peoples.

The humanitarian gesture came as the Embassy concluded Seva Pakhwada, a fortnight-long service campaign observed from September 17 to October 2 by India and Indian diplomatic missions abroad.

During the campaign, Embassy officials participated in a Swachhata Pledge, beach-cleaning activities and the planting of coconut saplings under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative.

The Embassy said the campaign reflects the spirit of seva, or selfless service, which was central to Gandhi’s philosophy.

At the Gandhi Jayanti celebration, the connection between the philosophy of service and community action was further underscored through cultural performances by schoolchildren, including traditional dances and Gandhi’s favorite devotional songs, known as bhajans.

The program also featured reflections on Gandhi’s life and values and the singing of Vande Mataram.

Meanwhile, WLCL Chairperson Ellen A. Attoh-Wreh highlighted the continued relevance of Gandhi’s principles of peace, nonviolence, service, dialogue and reconciliation.

She said the values are particularly relevant to the work of legislators as they seek to promote inclusion, dialogue and peaceful resolution of differences.

The Liberian legislators’ participation also followed their recent South-South Peer Learning Mission to India from August 10–15, 2026, under an IBSA Fund-supported project titled “Women Legislators in Liberia: Promoting Voice, Leadership and Gender-Responsive Governance for Sustainable Development.”

The project is supported by the governments of India, Brazil and South Africa.

The Embassy of India also praised the Indian community in Liberia for its continued contribution to Liberia’s social and economic development and for helping strengthen the longstanding bonds between the two countries.

For the Group of 77 Disabled Center, the partnership signals an opportunity to deepen cooperation in healthcare, disability inclusion and community development.

The Center said it looks forward to strengthening its engagement with the Embassy of India and members of the Indian business community, particularly in addressing the healthcare and inclusion needs of persons with disabilities.

As Gandhi’s bust now stands at the Indian Embassy in Monrovia, the occasion served not only as a commemoration of his life, but also as a practical demonstration of one of the values associated with his legacy: service to humanity.

AGL Liberia’s US$12,000 Support Targets Long Waiting Times, Space Constraints at Children’s OPD

MONROVIA, Liberia — The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center (JFK) has expanded its Pediatric Outpatient Department (OPD) with seven consultation rooms, a move hospital officials say will ease overcrowding, reduce prolonged waiting times and improve access to timely healthcare for children.

The expansion was made possible in part through a contribution of nearly US$12,000 from AGL Liberia under the company’s Solidarity Day initiative.

The project was implemented in two phases, with the first providing three consulting rooms and the second adding four more, significantly increasing the department’s capacity to accommodate pediatric patients.

At the dedication ceremony, AGL Liberia General Manager Remi Ayikoue Amavi said the company’s decision to support the project followed a visit to JFK in June 2025, when AGL employees were providing assistance to patients at the hospital.

Amavi said AGL staff visited the Pediatric OPD during the exercise and observed the difficult conditions under which children, their parents and healthcare workers were operating.

He said the company subsequently engaged JFK management to determine how it could contribute to improving the situation.

According to Amavi, hospital officials informed AGL that an expansion of the Pediatric OPD was already being planned because of inadequate space.

AGL Liberia and its employees then decided to support the initiative, eventually contributing nearly US$12,000 toward the expansion.

“Thank God, today, this is the reality,” Amavi said.

He said the project was not simply a financial contribution but an investment intended to improve conditions for children seeking medical care, their families and healthcare professionals.

“For AGL Liberia, this ceremony holds special significance,” Amavi said.

He noted that although AGL’s core business focuses on connecting economic territories, people, food and logistics solutions, the company believes its responsibility extends beyond its commercial operations.

He said the Solidarity Day initiative allows AGL employees to support projects that have a direct and lasting impact on communities.

“At AGL, we believe that investing in young people and healthcare is an investment in Liberia’s future,” Amavi said.

Expansion Targets Long Waiting Times

JFK officials said inadequate consultation space had been a major challenge affecting pediatric outpatient services, contributing to long waiting periods for children and their parents.

Dr. Okwune, a JFK official, said the first phase of the expansion provided three consulting rooms, which helped relieve pressure on the department, particularly during regular and specialized pediatric clinics.

He said the additional four rooms have further increased the department’s capacity.

“The problem of space had been virtually lifted as a result of the provision of those initial three consulting rooms,” Okwune said.

He explained that before the expansion, the hospital struggled to accommodate the various pediatric clinics because of limited consultation space.

The situation sometimes forced patients to spend most of the day at the hospital.

Okwune said some parents arrived with their children as early as 6 a.m. but remained at the hospital until about 4 p.m. because of limited consultation space.

He expressed confidence that the expanded OPD would allow doctors to see more patients efficiently and reduce the time children and their parents spend waiting for care.

“The impact we wanted to have on the patients is now going to be quite meaningful,” he said.

He thanked AGL Liberia for supporting the construction and expansion of the facility.

New Laboratory Expected to Speed Up Diagnosis

The JFK Chief Executive Officer said the expanded facility would also improve the overall experience of pediatric patients by providing more appropriate space for healthcare workers and making laboratory services more accessible.

She said JFK has healthcare professionals willing to provide care, but inadequate infrastructure had previously limited their ability to serve patients efficiently.

The CEO said the new facility includes a laboratory component that will allow children receiving treatment at the Pediatric OPD to access certain laboratory services closer to the point of care.

Previously, she said, parents often had to take their children to other sections of the hospital, including the maternity or memorial laboratory, for laboratory tests.

Because those facilities also serve other categories of patients, pediatric patients could face additional delays before their tests were conducted, except in emergency situations.

The laboratory attached to the expanded pediatric facility is expected to reduce those delays and enable healthcare providers to obtain test results more quickly to support diagnosis and treatment.

“So now we are assured that our children will be given that special attention,” the CEO said.

She said the hospital expects the expanded facility to contribute to better health outcomes and more timely management of pediatric cases.

The CEO expressed appreciation to AGL Liberia and called on other organizations and partners to support healthcare initiatives at JFK and across Liberia.

AGL Says Project Reflects Community Commitment

AGL Liberia Human Resources representative Lamb Bropleh said the project demonstrates the company’s commitment to supporting communities where it operates.

Bropleh said AGL Liberia supported the pediatric expansion in September 2025 under its Solidarity Day program.

She described the initiative as an opportunity for employees to contribute to projects capable of producing lasting benefits for communities.

“Solidarity Day is a reflection of AGL’s commitment to giving back to the community in which we operate and create a positive and lasting impact,” Bropleh said.

She said the completion of the Pediatric OPD expansion underscores the importance of partnerships in addressing critical community needs.

Bropleh said the dedication was not only about opening a physical facility but also about recognizing the partnership, compassion and collective effort behind the project.

JFK Welcomes Continued Support

JFK officials welcomed continued support from corporate entities, development partners and members of the public as the hospital works to strengthen healthcare delivery.

The hospital’s CEO encouraged partners to visit the expanded facility and see the improvements made through the project, while urging continued support for healthcare workers serving children and other patients.

With seven consulting rooms now available, hospital officials expect the expanded Pediatric OPD to ease congestion, reduce waiting times and support faster diagnosis and treatment for children seeking care at JFK.

Monrovia – Dr. Carolyn Baindu Moore built her career in the United States as a robotic thoracic surgeon, operating on the chest with some of medicine’s most advanced tools. In December, she is bringing a team home to Liberia, where some counties have no specialist surgeon at all.

By Rodney D. Sieh

Moore is CEO and founder of the Liberia Global Health & Surgery Consortium (LGHSC), which officially launches in the country from December 1 to 15. Over two weeks, the group plans to operate on patients, train 250 people in emergency care, screen 100 market women for cancer and hold its first fundraising dinner in Monrovia.

She says she doesn’t want this to be a one-time trip.

“Our goal is to leave a lasting impact through compassionate care, practical training, and partnership with Liberian healthcare teams,” she said.

The gap

Liberians who have had to travel to Monrovia for an operation, or wait weeks for one, know the problem well. The civil war emptied hospitals and drove doctors and nurses abroad. Ebola came a decade later and killed health workers the country could not afford to lose. Liberia has been rebuilding ever since.

The most recent nationwide count of surgical staff, published in the World Journal of Surgery, found 286 surgical providers in Liberia in 2018. Only 67 were accredited specialists. That is 1.6 specialist surgeons, anaesthetists and obstetricians for every 100,000 people. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery says a country needs at least 20. At the time, Liberia had three specialist anaesthesiologists for the whole country.

Most of those specialists work in Montserrado. In the poorest counties, the study counted 0.7 per 100,000 people.

Women pay much of the price. A UNFPA policy brief drawn from the 2022 national census puts Liberia’s maternal mortality ratio at 854 deaths per 100,000 live births, roughly one mother lost for every 117 babies born alive. The sub-Saharan African average is 536. The global target is under 70.

Then there is cervical cancer. The ICO/IARC Information Centre on HPV and Cancer estimates that 656 Liberian women are diagnosed with it each year and 469 die, about nine women every week. Most of those deaths can be prevented, because screening can catch the disease before it turns deadly. But many women are never screened, and by the time they reach a doctor, little can be done.

Who is coming

The visiting team is made up of five surgeons, six nurses, four global health partners and two medical students. On the ground, they will join five Liberian surgeons, 15 nurse volunteers and 17 Consortium volunteers. The Consortium says it works in partnership with the Ministry of Health, and that its plans were drawn up with Liberian hospital leaders, county health teams and community representatives.

In the operating room

From December 7 to 11, visiting and Liberian surgeons will operate side by side. Where equipment and facilities allow, that will include laparoscopic surgery, sometimes called “keyhole” surgery. Instead of one long cut, the surgeon works through a few small openings with a camera. Patients generally hurt less, heal faster and go home sooner. Few Liberian hospitals offer it now, and teaching it is one of the main reasons for the mission.

The hospital where the operations will take place, and how many patients will be treated, have not yet been confirmed. Local clinical teams will screen patients.

Learning to save a life

The same week, at the Liberian Learning Center at Paynesville Town Hall, the Consortium plans to train 250 people in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support. The courses teach CPR and what to do when a heart stops, the kind of emergency where a few minutes decide whether someone lives.

Not all the trainees are medical workers. Doctors, nurses, residents and emergency medical staff will sit alongside ordinary citizens. Some will be trained to teach the course themselves, so the skills keep spreading after the visitors leave. The team is also donating automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, the portable machines that can shock a stopped heart back into rhythm. They are still hard to find in Liberia.

For the women who feed the city

On December 14 and 15, a mobile clinic will set up in the Rock Church community in Duazon for 100 market women. They will get health education, consultations, breast and reproductive health checks, and screening for cervical cancer and high-risk HPV. The Consortium’s pathology team will process the samples, and its OB/GYN workgroup will work with local health authorities to make sure women who need further care are referred.

The choice of market women is deliberate. They keep homes running and children in school, often on what they earn in a single day. Taking a day off to sit in a clinic queue means losing that money, so many simply don’t go. This time, the clinic is coming to them.

A dinner and a longer plan

On December 12, the Consortium will host its founding fundraiser banquet at Afro Beach, Thinker Village, from 6:00 to 10:30 p.m. Dr. Deddeh E. P. Supuwood will give the keynote address, and Mr. Leo Lekpele Nupolu-Johnson will be master of ceremonies. Money raised will go to patient care, training, equipment, and community outreach.

Medical missions to Africa have a mixed reputation. Too often, a team flies in, operates, takes pictures and flies out, leaving behind patients with no follow-up and local staff no better prepared than before. LGHSC, which now counts more than 120 members in more than 16 workgroups on four continents, says it is trying to do the opposite. It wants to work through Liberian teams, keep mentoring them, and keep checking on patients long after December.

Whether that works will only be clear after the visitors fly home. It will show in the nurse in Paynesville who can now run a resuscitation, the surgeon who can do a keyhole operation without help, and the market woman in Duazon whose results come back in time.

“Our measure of success,” Moore said, “is the quality of care we provide and the knowledge, confidence, and capacity that remain long after we leave.”

Those wishing to volunteer, partner, or support the launch can contact lghscinc@gmail.com or visit www.libghsc.org. Donations can be made at https://givebutter.com/XYetak.

Harper, Maryland County — House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon has donated a bus to the J.J. Dossen Memorial Referral Hospital in Harper City, Maryland County, fulfilling a commitment he made during a visit to the hospital in December 2025.

By Peter P. Toe, Jr

The donation was made over the weekend at the hospital’s facility in Harper during a ceremony attended by health practitioners, local authorities, traditional leaders and other stakeholders.

Making the presentation, Speaker Koon said the donation was in fulfillment of a promise he made during his December 2025 visit, when hospital authorities raised several concerns about the institution’s needs.

Among the concerns raised were the need for additional space to expand hospital facilities, the placement of long-serving volunteer nurses on the government payroll, and transportation for health workers.

Then County Health Officer, Dr. Siedoh Freeman, described the requests as urgent needs for the J.J. Dossen Referral Hospital.

In response, Speaker Koon promised to provide a bus to address the transportation challenge, while committing to take the other concerns to the House of Representatives for consideration and possible budgetary allocation.

Clarifying the condition of the vehicle during the presentation, Speaker Koon said the bus was not new but urged the hospital to properly maintain it.

“Let me clarify this. This bus is not a brand-new bus; it is a fairly used bus. The more you take good care of it, the longer it will last,” the Speaker said

Receiving the bus on behalf of the county’s health sector, Maryland County Health Officer Dr. Methodius George praised Speaker Koon for fulfilling his commitment.

Dr. George said the vehicle would not only serve the J.J. Dossen Hospital but would benefit the wider county health team.

“This bus is not only for J.J. Dossen. It will be used by the Maryland County Health Team, the Pleebo Health Center and other health facilities in the county,” Dr. George said.

He called on other lawmakers to support the county’s health sector by undertaking similar initiatives.

Also speaking, Medical Director of the J.J. Dossen Memorial Referral Hospital, Dr. Shadrach Gono, thanked Speaker Koon for the donation and assured that the bus would be used for its intended purpose.

Dr. Gono said the vehicle would help address transportation needs associated with the hospital’s operations and health workers.

Maryland County Superintendent Nathaniel S. Toe, Jr. also praised Speaker Koon and the government for what he described as developments taking place across the county.

Superintendent Toe said the bus is an important addition to the J.J. Dossen Hospital, while pointing to several other projects and initiatives in Maryland County.

He referenced the provision of “yellow machines” under the Presidential Development Project, the groundbreaking for the Ministry of Transport’s regional hub in Maryland County, and other ongoing projects.

Superintendent Toe described the bus as “one of the good things that has ever entered” the J.J. Dossen Hospital. The cost of the bus was not disclosed during the donation ceremony.

Frontpage Africa subsequently followed up with the Speaker’s office to establish the actual cost of the vehicle. Sources within Speaker Koon’s media team said the bus was given to the Speaker as a gift by a friend, and as a result, its monetary value is not known.

Following the donation, the bus has been put into use and is currently being used by health workers in Maryland County. The donation is expected to provide transportation support for health workers and facilitate movement for health workers in Maryland County.

Ganta, Nimba County — Liberian pharmacists marked World Pharmacy Day over the weekend by urging the Government of Liberia(GoL) to take four key actions to strengthen pharmacies’ role in the national health system.

By Franklin Doloquee / Nimba County

Speaking in Ganta City, Nimba County  during World pharmacist Day Celebration under the theme: Empowering Pharmacists for a Healthier Future,  Dr. Menmon P. Z. Dunah, Registrar General and CEO of the Liberia Pharmacy Board, said pharmacists are essential across the entire medicines supply chain from forecasting, procurement and importation to storage, dispensing, patient counselling and pharmacovigilance.

 In hospitals and clinics, preparedness, Dr. Dunah  said pharmacists work alongside physicians and nurses to promote appropriate medication use and quality pharmaceutical care.

“In communities, pharmacies are often the most accessible health professionals, providing public health services such as antimicrobial stewardship, disease prevention, health education and emergency

 preparedness,” Dr. Dunah added.

“To protect the public from substandard and falsified products and unsafe medication use, pharmacies must be empowered. Pharmacists also play a pivotal role in health leadership and governance, helping shape policies that safeguard health care in Liberia.”

Under this year’s World Pharmacy Day theme:, “Empowering Pharmacies for a Healthier Future,” Dr. Dunah proposed four priority investments for the government.

Expand pharmacy education and scholarships

He called on the government to increase scholarship and fellowship opportunities for pharmacists, including fully funded postgraduate education, residencies and specialized training abroad.

He urged collaboration with development partners, universities and regional institutions to create financial support for young Liberian pharmacists, calling advanced professional education “an investment in Liberia’s health-care workforce.”

Establish a national chapter of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists

He asked the Legislature to pass a pending bill to establish and operationalize a Liberian chapter of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, with an appropriate budget.

He said a local chapter would provide structured postgraduate training and strengthen Liberia’s integration into regional pharmaceutical and public-health networks.

Appoint pharmacists to leadership positions

To ensure pharmacists’ expertise informs national decisions about medicines and public health, Dr. Dunah urged the government to appoint qualified pharmacists to senior technical and leadership roles across ministries, agencies and commissions.

Integrate pharmacists into national health programs

Dr. Dunah recommended broader deployment of pharmacists across national health programs, including immunization, noncommunicable disease management, maternal and child health, emergency preparedness, medicine-use review and reproductive health. Greater integration, he said, would allow pharmacists to practice to the full extent of their training.

He closed with an appeal to pharmacists to uphold professional excellence, ethics, lifelong learning, research and patient-centred care.

He also encouraged mentorship of younger pharmacists and adoption of technology to improve services.

“Every patient who encounters a pharmacist must experience competence, compassion, respect and professional care,” he said, wishing colleagues a happy World Pharmacy Day.

The Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority and the Liberia Pharmacy Board were acknowledged for their roles in policy and enforcement to ensure access to quality pharmaceutical services.

Ministry reports improvements, rollouts electronic systems

Also speaking, Liberia’s Chief Pharmacist at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Joshua T. Peter Jr., commended sponsors and organizers of World Farmers Day and relayed several government health initiatives.

Dr. Peter urged Liberians to follow a presidential directive declaring the last Saturday of each month National Exercise Day, citing rising deaths from hypertension, stroke and other cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.

He encouraged simple daily physical activity, even brief exercises at a doorstep or porch, to help busy commuters and shift workers stay active.

On service delivery, Dr. Peter said pharmaceutical services are more reliable than when the current administration took office in 2024.

“When we inherited the health sector, shelves were empty and facilities lacked medication. Now we can beat our chest: medication is available,” he said.

 He added that the ministry conducts quarterly distributions to county and hospital pharmacies and remains vigilant to keep supplies flowing.

The ministry is rolling out an electronic logistics management information system and an “eMSupply” platform nationwide.

The rollout already covers 33 hospitals and is expanding into counties including Nimba, Lofa and Bomi and will reach more than 55 health centers and hundreds of clinics.

The digital system aims to replace paper records, preserve supply histories, and improve transparency and continuity of care.

Dr. Peter stated that the government, with support from the U.S. State Department, is equipping pharmacists and dispensers with computers and electronic records to modernize service delivery. He added that a new district pharmacy initiative will place pharmacists closer to communities: recent pharmacy interns will be deployed to district-level posts rather than hospitals and provided with transport from motorcycles to cars so they can visit clinics, monitor stocks and report to county and central ministry levels.

“There are many more initiatives under way, but time does not permit me to list them all,” Dr. Peter said, thanking attendees and urging continued support for farmers and public health efforts.

Key points

Ministry of Health reports improved medication availability since 2024 and regular quarterly distributions.

Electronic logistics and eMSupply systems are being deployed to hospitals, health centers, and clinics nationwide.

The district pharmacy programme will place pharmacists in communities and supply them with transport and electronic tools.