By Seun Ibiyemi
The West African Health Organisation has intensified high-level engagements with authorities in Liberia to advance maternal and child health reforms and promote sustainable health financing.
During a series of meetings held from April 8 to 10, 2026, the Director-General of WAHO, Melchior Athanase J. C. Aïssi, engaged key government officials including Minister of Health Louise Mapleh Kpoto, Senate Health Committee Chair Debah M. Varpilah, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Richard Nagbe Koon.
At the meetings, Aïssi advocated stronger legislative frameworks to improve maternal and child health outcomes, including aligning national laws with global standards recommended by the World Health Organization.
A key proposal was the adoption of six months of maternity leave to support exclusive breastfeeding, which WAHO described as a proven intervention to reduce child mortality, improve nutrition and enhance long-term health outcomes.
Liberian lawmakers acknowledged the urgency of addressing maternal and child health challenges such as child stunting and early childhood nutrition, and pledged to advance legislative reforms and related policy initiatives.
On health financing, Aïssi proposed the establishment of a dedicated national health fund supported by levies on selected high-consumption goods. He said the mechanism would provide sustainable and predictable funding for priority health services, particularly at the community level.
The proposal aligns with regional recommendations encouraging innovative domestic financing approaches, including earmarked levies and targeted budget allocations for frontline healthcare services.
Liberian authorities welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening health financing through increased budgetary allocations, contingency funding and exploration of new revenue streams.
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The discussions also highlighted the importance of strengthening community health systems to drive universal health coverage through prevention, early detection and expanded outreach services.
Aïssi further commended progress on the ECOWAS-supported cross-border health facility between Liberia and Sierra Leone, noting plans to upgrade it into a regional referral hub with enhanced maternal and neonatal services.
The mission concluded with a coordination meeting involving the Economic Community of West African States Resident Representative and the steering committee overseeing WAHO’s financial support to Liberia, focusing on improving alignment, implementation and impact of regional health interventions
