Monrovia, Liberia — Liberia has taken another significant step toward strengthening national and global health security with the signing of a Multisectoral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for One Health Collaboration and the Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005), as amended in 2024.
The landmark agreement, signed in Monrovia under the auspices of the Liberia One Health Coordination Platform, formalizes the Government of Liberia’s commitment to institutionalizing multisectoral collaboration to prevent, detect, prepare for, and respond to public health threats that emerge at the interface of humans, animals, plants, and the environment.
The Memorandum of Understanding brings together key government institutions to strengthen coordinated action in support of Liberia’s health security agenda and reinforces the country’s commitment to implementing the amended International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).
According to a statement from NPHIL, under the agreement, the participating institutions committed to working collaboratively through the Liberia One Health Coordination Platform to improve multisectoral cooperation and service delivery in pursuit of the Government of Liberia’s health security objectives.
The MoU outlines coordinated action across several strategic areas, including border operations, food safety and standards, human, animal and plant health, environmental protection, antimicrobial resistance, national security, and climate change-related hazards.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Advertus Nyan Mianah, National One Health Coordinator of the Liberia One Health Coordination Platform, commended all participating sectors for their dedication to advancing the One Health approach in Liberia.
Mr. Mianah recalled Liberia’s experiences responding to Ebola, COVID-19, Lassa fever, and other emerging health threats, noting that effective coordination and collaboration have been central to strengthening national disease prevention and response systems.
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Also speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Sia Wata Camanor, Interim Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) and Chairperson of the One Health Technical Committee, applauded the collective efforts of government institutions and technical experts whose collaboration made the development of the Memorandum of Understanding possible.
Dr. Camanor urged sectoral leaders to move beyond the signing ceremony by ensuring the full implementation of the commitments contained in the agreement.
“This is not just the signatures, but the commitments to ensure that our Points of Entry and our systems are prepared to respond,” she emphasized.
The signing ceremony brought together representatives from several government institutions, including the Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Ministry of National Defense (MoD)/The Armed Forces of Liberia, Ministry of Information (MoI), National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), Liberia National Police (LNP), Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), Forestry Development Authority (FDA), and the Liberia One Health Coordination Platform.
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