WHO donates medical supplies to New Redemption Hospital 

Approximately two million people are expected to benefit from this donation through prevention and treatment exercises in endemic counties.

Monrovia, May 13, 2024: The World Health Organization (WHO-Liberia), through its Neglected Tropical Disease Program (NTDs), donated assorted medical supplies to the New Redemption Hospital in Caldwell, Outside Monrovia, over the weekend.

The medical supplies are expected to benefit approximately 2 million people in the prevention and treatment of people in endemic counties through mass drug administration campaigns. 

Targeted counties include Montserrado, Lofa, Nimba, Bong, Sinoe, Maryland, and River Gee, among others. 

The objective of the mass drug administration is to reach millions of Liberians in those targeted counties to rally medical practitioners’ support for Neglected Tropical Diseases.

It aims to strengthen health systems, and awareness intervention is imperative to sustain these global interventions as the 2030 timeline approaches.

According to Wikipedia, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of tropical infections common in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

They are caused by various pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and parasitic worms [helminths]. These diseases are contrasted with the “big three” infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria), which generally receive greater treatment and research funding. 

In sub-Saharan Africa, the effect of neglected tropical diseases as a group is comparable to that of malaria and tuberculosis. NTD co-infection can also make HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis more deadly.

On Monday, 29 January 2024, during the celebration of World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, the World Health Organization disclosed that over 18 million people in Africa required interventions against NTDs. 

Presenting the medical supplies to Liberia’s Health Minister and officials of the New Redemption Hospital Facility, Dr. Peter Clement, WHO Country Representative in Liberia, assured the organization’s continuous support and commitment to ensuring and strengthening Liberia’s health sector to enable the country to be a disease-free nation.

Dr. Clement noted that the donation underscored their ongoing commitment to eliminating NTDs. 

“By providing these essential medications, we aim to support commitment to supporting Liberia’s efforts to significantly reduce the prevalence and impact of these diseases, ultimately contributing to the country’s overall health and well-being,” Dr. Clement stated.

He disclosed that the donation is part of the implementation of the WHO NTD roadmap and the Ministry of Health’s National NTD Master Plan, which stipulates interventions and targets for the control and elimination of these neglected diseases by 2030.

For her part, Health Minister Dr. Louise Kpoto extolled WHO for its support and commitment to ensuring that Liberia’s health sector is strengthened.

She emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts in public health interventions, adding that MOH and WHO Liberia with others remain committed to implementing comprehensive strategies to combat NTDS and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She particularly referenced SDG 3, through ensuring universal health coverage and equitable access to health services for all.—Press release.