Health

Ministry of Health, Congo Town, Monrovia
Photo Credit: LiberiaInfo

Healthcare in any nation is vital to its sustainability and Liberia is no exception. However, fourteen years of civil war dealt a deadly blow to its health infrastructure. Although pre-war Liberia’s health framework was not state-of-the-art, this system sank to its lowest level, with the war draining the country of many professional healthcare workers due to the massive exodus. Currently, Liberia’s healthcare infrastructure is inefficient, fragmented and lacking in more ways than one can explain.

In the years immediately following the war, Liberia heavily depended on foreign donors and NGOs to help rebuild its health system. Communicable diseases are still prevalent, with Malaria leading in morbidity and mortality. Others include respiratory infections, diarrhea, tuberculosis and HIV. There has been some progress in the reduction of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Worst of all, the Ebola outbreak from 2014 to 2016 further challenged this already devastated system. It showed how Liberia’s healthcare had been neglected and unprepared for such major outbreaks. This was also a call for the leaders of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone to do more for their health systems.

With continued support from the international community and NGOs, Liberia is once again on the path of rebuilding and strengthening its health services. It is expanding human resources throughout the country, working on disease prevention and promoting healthy behaviors and lifestyle. LiberiaInfo will explore the various aspects of healthcare in Liberia and how the nation is faring amidst the many challenges.


Sources

Downie, Richard. With Ebola crippling the health system, Liberians die of routine medical problems. Oct. 2010. Web.

Healthcare in Liberia. British Red Cross. 2015. Web.

Liberia. Country Cooperation Strategy. World Health Organization. May 2014. Web. Liberia

Rebuilding Basic Health Services (RBHS). John Snow, Inc. 2015. Web.

Tafirenyika, Masimba. Ebola: A wake-up call for leaders. Africa Renewal Online. United Nations Africa Renewal. Dec. 2014. Web.

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Last Modified: September 26, 2019