High Level Global Fund Delegation Concludes Mission to Liberia

Monrovia – The High Level Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (TGF) Delegation has concluded an eight day official mission to Liberia.

The mission occurred, from 6 to 13 September 2017, in the context of negotiating, and finalizing new grant allocations for the country intended to accelerate progress towards building Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health (RSSH).

For this, the Global Fund has allocated US$65.7 million for response to HIV/TB, Malaria and Health System Strengthening.

The High level Global Fund Mission representatives included Mrs. Seble Abebe, TGF Fund Portfolio Manager for Liberia, Dr. Cynthia Mwase, Global Fund Head of Africa and Middle East Department and Team and Mr. Nicolas Cantau, Regional Manager for the Western Africa Team of the Global Fund.

The TGF’s Team was able to meet and discuss with wide range of stakeholders, working along with the Liberia’s CCM for the Global Fund, Principal Recipients (PRs) of the grants, and in-country partners in order to finalize the documents that will be required for grants approval.

Visiting the offices of Liberia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Bernice Dahn, before the TGF Team departure, Dr. Mwase acknowledged the resilience of the Government of Liberia to have eradicated Ebola and the level of work done so far toward ending AIDS, TB and Malaria.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Liberia free of the Ebola virus in January 2016.

The disease killed more than 4,800 people in Liberia – the highest number of deaths of any country. The EVD disease overwhelmed the country’s health systems, interrupting prevention and treatment for other diseases such as malaria, HIV and tuberculosis, and increasing the number of deaths from these diseases.

In a debriefing meeting, WHO, UNAIDS Country Office and the Ministry of Health highlighted the advances and challenges that are ahead of Liberia’s AIDS, TB and Malaria response, as well as, recommended  comprehensive approaches required to accelerate progress in Liberia. The mission also pointed out the country’s strategic focus in response to the three diseases and a focus on RSSH.

In particular, Dr. Mwase averred that Liberia has shown strong leadership and commitment to the fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria and called on the country to tell her story which could be used in mobilizing regional and international efforts in shafting the fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria in West and Central Africa region.

The Head of Global Fund Africa and Middle East Department further said there is much more needed for Liberia to reach its share of global targets, noting that the Global Fund is in the country to support the nation reaches its set of targets toward strengthening the health system to end AIDS, TB and Malaria.

In response, Minister Dahn appreciated the Global Fund on behalf of the Ministry of Health and the government of Liberia for funding the post Ebola Investment Plan, which primarily is health system strengthening to ending AIDS, TB and Malaria, that has greatly impacted the country.

Minister Dahn said the Global Fund has been very cooperative in building resilient and sustainable health system in Liberia.

She further mentioned that the global Fund has provided support for  Health Financings, and Counterpart Financing (Technical Assistance) to strengthen advocacy for domestic financing and building the resource mobilization platform of the government of Liberia, as well as supporting community outreach pharmacy that tend to link community to health services.

The Global Fund Team concluded the mission to Liberia with visit to three major public health facilities, namely, the Redemption Hospital, John F. Kennedy (JFK) Memorial Medical Hospital in Monrovia, Montserrado County and the C.H. Rennie Hospital in Kakata, Margibi County to get an appreciation of progress and challenges that health practitioners undergo while speaking with them in a face-to-face conversation.