Building on over a decade of partnership and collaboration with the Government of Liberia, USAID/Liberia’s health program seeks to improve the health status of all Liberians, especially the most vulnerable: women, girls, newborns and children under the age of five. USAID pursues this goal through interventions that support the GOL’s Investment Plan for Building a Resilient Health System in Liberia 2015-2021. USAID’s Health portfolio comprises five components—service delivery in facilities and communities; health system strengthening; President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI); Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); and the Global Health Security Agenda.
SERVICE DELIVERY
The centerpiece of USAID’s assistance for strengthening the quality and availability of facility based primary health care services is a direct grant to the Government of Liberia that supports provision of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) OH Basic, Essential Health Services package and the Accelerated Action Plan for Reducing Maternal and Neonatal Mortality. Additionally, USAID supports the restoration of health services following the Ebola crisis in selected facilities in three counties that serve some of the most vulnerable and underserved populations and the expansion of vaccination coverage for children under age five throughout the country. At the community level, USAID is helping to expand access to and use of quality services by training community health workers and disseminating behavioral change messages; expanding access to clean drinking water; supporting roll out of Integrated Community Case Management of childhood illnesses, and improving hygiene through the use of Community-led Total Sanitation initiatives.
HEALTH SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING
USAID/Liberia’s flagship health system strengthening project is utilizing a comprehensive approach to bolster the capacity of the MOH at the central and county-level s to lead and govern; improve the availability and financial viability of health services; manage and maintain an adequately-sized workforce of qualified health care providers; distribute essential commodities; institutionalize quality assurance and Infection Prevention and Control, and increase the quality, availability and use of data. Technical assistance is provided at the central and county-levels by embedded advisors who work side-by-side with their MOH counterparts. Additionally, USAID is supporting the Ministry of Public Works to manage water supply infrastructures and strengthening the health commodity supply chain to improve the availability of commodities at the facility and community levels.
PRESIDENT’S MALARIA INITIATIVE
PMI activities are integrated throughout USAID’s portfolio and are focused on improving malaria case management, promoting the quality of medicines, preventing malaria during pregnancy, and integrated vector management and the commodity supply chain. PMI also provides technical advisors who are embedded within the National Malaria Control Program to support key operations.
WATER SANITATION AND HEALTH
WASH activities cut across the Mission’s health portfolio. WASH is a component of the Essential Package of Health Services implemented with all MOH facilities. At the community level, WASH interventions improve sanitation through Community-led Total Sanitation and expand access to clean drinking water through community mobilization. Additionally, USAID supports municipal water infrastructure and management capacity development.
GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY AGENDA
USAID is partners with other United States Government agencies to implement the GHSA which is focused on preventing and combating newly emerging diseases of animal origin that have pandemic potential among humans. The Mission is supporting the establishment of a national multi-sector coordination mechanism for sampling and testing; building capacity of animal health professionals for risk-based epidemiology and response; and implementing behavior change communications focused on influencing risky behaviors.