IPNEWS-MONROVIA: A World Bank Mission Team led by Dr. Opope Oyaka Tshivuila Matala, a Senior Health Specialist and Co-Technical Team Lead of the Liberia Health Portfolio, is in Liberia to assess health-related projects supported by the Bank; including the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement (REDISSE II) Project, COVID-19 Project, and Health Systems Strengthening Project (HSSP) among others.

Team members include Dr. Anthony Theophilus Seddoh, Senior Health Specialist and CoTechnical Team Lead of the Liberia Health Portfolio and Dr. Noel Chisaka, Senior Health Specialist and Co-Technical Team Lead, REDISSE II and COVID-19. Series of meetings were held with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) to assess the successes and challenges of ongoing projects.

The Team also visited ongoing projects sites, including the New Redemption Hospital in Caldwell, Montserrado County, the Health Systems Strengthening Project in Gbarpolu County, and the John F. Kennedy Hospital in Monrovia.

Following presentations by Mr. Sonpon Blamo Sieh, Technical Coordinator, Liberia One Health Platform on the REDISSE II Project and COVID-19 Project, and Mr. Harry Neufville, Deputy Project Manager, Liberia Health Portfolio, on the Health Systems Strengthening Project, the Team Lead, Dr. Opope Oyaka Tshivuila Matala expressed delight in the successes presented by the implementing Ministries and Agency.

The Regional Disease Surveillance System Enhancement (REDISSE) Project is a multisectoral initiative intended to strengthen national and regional capacity to address disease threats at the human, animal, and environmental interface which is the source of most known epidemic-prone and novel pathogens.

The COVID-19 Project supports the Government of Liberia’s efforts in the fight against the pandemic, while the Health Systems Strengthening Project aims at improving the quality of primary and secondary health care services, with a focus on maternal, neonatal and child health. At the end of the week-long mission, the Team will prepare an Aide Memoire on findings and recommendations as discussed with the Government of Liberia.