Liberia
Liberia is a west African country whose population descends from freed African-American slaves as well as local tribal groups. After years of civil war, Liberia is rebuilding and trying to bring its high unemployment under control. But poor health care resources threaten Liberia’s recovery.
Liberia faces many health care-related challenges. Much of the health care infrastructure was damaged or destroyed during the civil war, which also disrupted health care worker training. Most doctors and nurses are concentrated in the coastal cities, making access to health care in the countryside uncertain. Women can expect to live only 44 years; men 41. And 23% of all children die before the age of five.
In September 2006, a team from the IntraHealth-led Capacity Project and the Basic Support for Institutionalizing Child Survival (BASICS) Project began working with Liberia's Ministry of Health to develop the human resources section of the National Health Plan. The Project worked with the Ministry of Health to establish what training and competencies health care workers need to deliver a basic package of health services.
Capacity Project team members shared lessons learned from the Project's work in Southern Sudan, another conflict-affected country currently rebuilding its health system.
Donor/Project: USAID (Capacity)
Partners: Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health
Selected health statistics for Liberia (WHO, accessed July 2008):
Life expectancy, in years (m/f): 43, 46
Probability of dying under 5 years of age (per 1000 live births): 235
Adult prevalence of HIV/AIDS: 0.6–1.8%
Maternal mortality (per 100,000 live births): 760