IPNews-Monrovia- 2019: VP Jewel Howard Taylor (seated, center) and other delegates at the opening of the 2nd Emmett Dennis Scientific Conference convening in Monrovia.

The Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Jewel Howard Taylor wants the health component of the national budget currently before the legislature carefully review as they go through the harmonization of the budget.

Making direct reference to the Senate Committee Chair on Health, Gender and Children Protection, Dr. Peter Coleman, at the opening of the 2^nd Emmett Dennis Scientific Conference convening in Monrovia, VP Taylor said “Let me recognize Senator Coleman who is in this hall with many caps, she intoned. “He is a member of the joint budget committee, a medical doctor, medical school professor and former minister of health. Please ensure that the budget of the health workers is carefully looked at,” she asserted.

Vice President Taylor paid tribute to the men and women in the health sector who have and continue to make sacrifices which helps move the health sector forward; in spite of the many challenges. She said as Liberia build her health systems to withstand shocks; “we may not be able to stop diseases from starting but we should be able to prevent it from spreading and killing our people,” she cautioned.

She appreciated Dr. Emmett Dennis, President Emeritus of the University of Liberia, in whose name the conference has been organized, for his hard work, diligence, commitment and sacrifices and encouraged the youth and up-coming public health scientists to take advantage of the conference in order to acquire as much information as possible and use the opportunity of the TEDx talk to gain confidence for their life’s journey stressing that if successes can be achieved by others around the globe, they too can definitely be a part of the innovators and creators of our future world.

The theme of the conference is “Strengthening Global Health Security — The Liberia Experience”. It is co-organized by the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) and her partners. The conference aims to share new information about the various elements of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) in Liberia obtained through research and public health practice. This will provide an opportunity for evidence-based analysis of what has been done and how to achieve more, provide education and generate interest in public health among Liberians, by showcasing the availability of local capacity for public health research and field epidemiology.

The goal is to engage local and international scientists through presentations on science of high relevance to the region and serve as a forum for generating ideas, discussions of best practices and, stimulation of scientific actions.(courtesy of Daily OBSERVER Newspaper)