Monrovia – Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, today reaffirmed the government’s commitment to intensifying the national response to HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and hepatitis B, even as rising debt servicing costs continue to exert heavy pressure on the national budget.
Minister Ngafuan delivered the remarks during programs commemorating World AIDS Day at the Capitol, where he said the government has maintained budgetary support for the HIV response despite fiscal shocks earlier in the year.
“We have some allocation in the budget for the fight against AIDS. We will continue to work to do more,” he said. He noted that the health, education and agriculture sectors were among those hit hardest by early-year disruptions, but stressed that the administration “is not resting” and is “working through the nail” to keep essential programs moving.
Minister Ngafuan said the progress seen so far is evidence that ongoing reform efforts are yielding results. “Good news is on the way,” he assured.
The Finance Minister used the platform to highlight Liberia’s growing debt burden, which he described as rapidly increasing and now competing directly with priority social sectors.
He revealed that in the government’s nearly US$2 billion national budget, the combined allocation for health and education is US$233 million, while debt service alone accounts for US$210 million.
He reminded the audience that under the Public Financial Management Law, debt service is the first claim on government revenue.
“If government does not pay its debt, the banking system will be challenged and we will cause instability,” he explained. He warned that non-payment could also trigger sanctions from international financial partners, including the World Bank.
While praising ongoing efforts against HIV, Minister Ngafuan urged the Ministry of Health and its partners to ramp up interventions against syphilis and particularly hepatitis B, which he described as one of the deadliest but most overlooked public health threats in Liberia.
“This is a triple thing here: stop HIV, stop syphilis, stop hepatitis B,” he said. “Our people are dying heavily because of this disease. It is one of the biggest killers in this country.”
Minister Ngafuan said he personally knows more than ten people who have died from hepatitis B within the past 18 months deaths that are often misclassified as other illnesses. The minister pledged his personal support to the national response.
“I personally will be openband I will care for hepatitis B,” he said. “We need to ramp up the effort. Somewhere, somehow, it slips from the radar.”
During the ceremony, members of the Legislature, including representatives of the House Committee on Health and the Senate Pro-Tempore’s office, also pledged continued collaboration with the Ministry of Health on national health priorities. Several lawmakers noted that the Legislature remains “open and supportive” of public health initiatives, emphasizing that “our people are dying” and that stronger action is needed.
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