Liberia Photo Essay

by Richelle Ogle, GAVI Private Philanthropy Team

In February 2008, GAVI staff members Marthe-Sylvie Essengue, Richelle Ogle, and Ibti Vincent visited Liberia to take stock of the country’s progress in immunizing children; to gather video and photo footage telling the story of Liberia’s immunization programs; and to explore opportunities for a subsequent visit by key GAVI donors.

  • Newborn with mom at Gbartala Clinic, Bong Co.

  • Women waiting to see health care workers at John F. Kennedy Hospital in Monrovia.

  • Nursing students at Cuttington College, Gbarnga, Bong Co.

  • Baby being vaccinated at the Clara Town Clinic, Monrovia.

Since 1979, unrest has wracked Liberia, culminating in a 14-year civil war that killed some 200,000, displaced another 800,000, and forced still more out of the country. The infrastructure -- roads, public buildings, and water, sewer and electricity services in Monrovia -- was destroyed. Health services ground to a halt.

With the end of the war in 2003, and the election of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in 2005, Liberia has struggled to recover from the ravages of war and introduce economic stability. During the war, routine immunization of children under five, as measured by DTP (Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis) coverage, dropped to 32%. As of 2007, however, DTP coverage has climbed to 88%, due in part to the partnership between Liberia and the GAVI Alliance.

We visited health facilities in Liberia, both urban and rural, including John F. Kennedy Hospital, Monrovia; Clara Town Clinic, Monrovia; Star of the Sea Clinic, West Point, Monrovia; Redemption Hospital/New Kru Town Clinic, Monrovia; and in Bong County, Phebe Hospital, which was headed by Health Minister Dr. Walter T. Gwenigale for over 30 years, and two village clinics, Belefanai and Gbartala.

While there, we engaged with key government officials (Health Minister and senior officials including EPI Manager, Planning and Finance Ministry officials) to understand the key issues in health delivery as well as in the immunization program; and we met with representatives of GAVI partner organizations.

We also met with Minister of Health & Social Welfare Dr. Gwenigale; the EPI staff, Planning staff, and GAVI partners including representatives of the World Bank, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and USAID. At the last moment, Dr. Gwenigale secured a meeting for us with Liberian Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. Both Dr. Gwenigale and Vice President Boakai spoke movingly of the commitment of the new Liberian government to improving health services, and of the importance of a healthy population to political stability and economic growth. In every meeting, a strong commitment to improving child and maternal health, and cooperation among partners and among the Ministries of Health, Finance, and Public Works, were evident. Slowly, Liberia is recovering.

On returning to our offices in Washington, DC, Roland Tuopileyi II, a dedicated manager in Liberia’s Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, sent us an email ending with this plea: "This is just a voice that I am adding to the other voices concerning the . . . problems that we are faced with in Liberia. Please help us so as to help the needy and underserved children of Liberia."

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