-WHO Rep Discloses; Praises Liberia’s Fight Against Covid_19

IPNEWS – The World Health Organization (WHO) has lavished praises on Liberian health authorities for strategies they deployed in their fight against the deadly Coronavirus decease, which has taken the lives of millions around the world.

The Liberian health authorities’ model is now being hailed around the world.  Watch Dr. Peter L. Clement https://fb.watch/jDOXIqFnrC/ speak about Liberia’s Covid_19 successes.   

Speaking during a media engagement on Thursday, March 30, at his WHO Offices in Monrovia, the WHO Representative in Liberia, Dr. Peter Lugala Clement said, “At this at this point now, 3.8 million people have been fully vaccinated; that means those who have received either the first dose and or second dose. Some have taken their own booster; this is good. None of the countries within the sub-region can challenge Liberia on that. Liberia is far ahead; I think the only countries are Mauritius and Seychelles. Liberia is among third or second country and others are Rwanda and so. So, Liberia has done a lot in that area in terms of taming Covid.”

The WHO Representative, however, warned that WHO still looks at Covid_19 as a public health problem. He emphasized: “Globally, WHO has not scaled it down; it is still at ‘Level 3’.”

Dr. Clement, however, began by providing the current statistics on the West African nation’s Covid_19 fight.

“So, in Liberia in January we had like 20 cases, February, 17, March, last Monday we had about seven cases. Maybe by end of the month, which is tomorrow, if it is going to be more maybe 11 or 12 cases. So, you can see it is decreasing.

He, however, mentioned that previously a lot of the cases were more from travellers because it was a requirement for people to be tested before they travelled. “Some countries still do that and therefore the number of people who now go for test for traveling has reduced. Many countries are now talking about Covid Vaccination Card.”

He disclosed that one thing has made Liberia successful in its fight is ‘Random Community Testing,’ which is a program that was carried out in three of Liberia’s heavily populated counties, including Montserrado, Nimba and Margibi. This program which started in 2022, has now expanded to include Lofa and Grand Bassa Counties.

“What we see from all the tests in the communities, some counties are reporting just one or two cases. This means that at the community levels, the incidence loads are very low; new infections are very low and these are people who don’t present with symptoms. But the good thing is that none of them is falling sick. This means the driving virus now is the Omicron; it’s not much of Delta which used to be severe.”

Dr. Clement was happy to report that from January 2022 up to the date of the media engagement, no one has been hospitalized in Liberia because of Covid infection. This means, according to the WHO Rep., the infection is not severe.

Watch Dr. Peter L. Clement https://fb.watch/jDOXIqFnrC/ speak about Liberia’s Covid_19 successes.   

US Embassy Commendation

The WHO is not alone in commending Liberia and its health sector for the marvelous works personnel in the sector are doing.

On Tuesday, March 28, the US Ambassador, Mr. Michael McCarthy, too, praised Liberian health authorities. “I want to take a moment here to express kudos to the Government of Liberia for hosting a very successful Community Health Workers Symposium here in Monrovia. It took courage to invite such a large group! Hundreds of health professionals from all over the world came to this event and it showcased the real gains that Liberia has made, especially given Liberia’s experience with both the Ebola and COVID-19 pandemics. Congratulations to the Ministry of Health.”