Every year, Liberia joins the rest of the world on April 7th to commemorate World Health Day, which marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) and serves as an opportunity to raise awareness on pressing health issues. Under the theme “Healthy beginnings, Hopeful futures”, the national observance took place in Bentol City, Montserrado County, bringing together government officials, international partners, health professionals, students and community members to advocate for investment and collective action in maternal and newborn health.
Josephine Karwah lost her mother, father and sister Salomé. Her child was born dead, in the street, on the way to the hospital. No one wanted to help a mother who had contracted Ebola, the lethal virus that claimed the lives of entire families. Sitting in front of the small clinic she now runs in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, Karwah picks up her phone and opens a WhatApp group. It has 81 members, all of whom suffered from Ebola except for one, a doctor who sometimes offers medical advice. The rest share their pain and sometimes, happiness.
The recent freeze of US funding for HIV programs in Liberia has raised alarms within the health sector, prompting government officials to reassess their strategies to support people living with HIV.
Every March 8, the world is flooded with glossy campaigns urging us to “accelerate action” and “inspire inclusion”. International Women’s Day has become a polished, PR-friendly spectacle where corporate sponsors preach empowerment while the women most in need of solidarity are left to fend for themselves.
With Liberia experiencing the lowest rate of school enrollment for girls, the Economic Community of West African States is intervening through its Monrovia mission to improve the situation.
Amid revelation by Liberia’s Minister of Finance and Development Planning that the country has lost US$51M in development assistance from the United States government, the National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL) has urged the government to go back to the drawing board.
Liberia's ambitious five-year healthcare program, aimed at reducing maternal and newborn mortality rates and improving overall healthcare delivery, is now on hold following the United States government's decision to cease all aid to the nation.
Fifty Liberian professionals have successfully completed a one-month AVoHC-SURGE training program designed to strengthen the country's capacity to respond to public health emergencies.
The state-run University of Liberia College of Health Sciences (ULCHS) has ended the fifth cohort and first Executive Mentorship Program with 25 participants completing the program and certificated.
