-WHO encourages governments, as Liberia celebrates WHD
By Jerromie S. Walters
On Monday, April 8, 2024, Liberia formally observed World Health Day, which primarily endeavors to raise awareness about pressing health issues, promote healthy lifestyles, and advocate for universal access to quality healthcare. Globally, World Health Day is observed on April 7th. However, Liberia’s observance of the day needed to be held on Monday, considering that the 7th was on Sunday.
At a full house on Monday, April 8, 2024, at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, the World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Health (MOH), partners, and students officially venerated this year’s World Health Day, under the “My Health, My Right.”
In an introductory comment and conveying the Regional Director’s message, Dr. Clement Peter, World Health Organization Representative, rallied governments to invest in primary healthcare, to ensure transparency and accountability and meaningful involve individuals and communities in decision-making around health
Dr: Clement: “On this World Health Day and beyond, WHO is calling on governments to make meaningful investments to scale up primary healthcare, to ensure transparency and accountability and the meaningful involve individuals and communities in decision-making around health. Recognizing the interdependence between the right to health and other fundamental rights, the campaign calls to action on finance, agriculture, environment, justice, transport, and labor affairs.”
The World Health Organization, Representative Dr. Clement, stressed that the population facing marginalization that suffer the most, are people who live in poverty and displacement. He emphasized that mental health and physical distress affect people and everyone deserves access to quality, time, and appropriate health services without being subjected to discrimination.
He emphasized the need to improve quality care, zero discrimination, privacy and confidentiality, and information (data and awareness) and revealed that WHO is discussing the impact of FGM and all these activities that promote health.
Commenting on challenges that have suppressed the sector, Dr. Clement said that the right to health is compromised by political inaction, coupled with the lack of accountability and funding, as well as intolerance, discrimination, and stigma.
As this year’s World Health Day also concurs with the 75 years of existence of the WHO, Dr. Clement said the WHD seeks to ensure access to universal access to quality health services, education, information, access to safe water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions, and freedom from discrimination.
As she graciously embraced her role as chair to champion maternal and newborn health, Liberia’s First Lady Kartumu Yarta Boakai
stressed the need for a crusade against preventable practices leading to maternal mortality.
Mrs. Boakai: “As the First Lady of the Republic of Liberia, I accept with solemn duty and fervent passion my role as the Chief Maternal Newborn Health Champion. I implore each one of you, within the sound of my voice and beyond, to join us as we embark on a crusade against the preventable tragedies that befall our mothers and infants.”
She emphasized, “No mother should lose her life while bringing another into the world. Sadly
the shadow of maternal and neonatal mortality looms large in our country, with our mothers perishing at a staggering rate of 742 per 100,000 live births and our newborns at 37 per 1,000. These are not mere numbers; they are echoes of the anguish that alarmed through our communities with the loss of every mother, sister, and child.”
“Just imagine the heartbreak of a father at the JFK Hospital who held his newborn for mere moments before the child was swept away by the cruel tide of mortality. Or perhaps hearing the voice in the glow of dawn, a mother whispers prayers for the life of her unborn child, a battle against the darkness of uncertainty. Such a painful reality should never be an experience in our modern society. We need to unite as a global village to bring an end to maternal and neonatal mortality,” the First Lady noted.
The First Lady also used the occasion to announce the launch of the Women’s Coalition for Reproductive Health and Rights, committed to the cause of empowering women and girls in this significant area. According to her, the coalition will focus on various aspects, including maternal health and ensuring access to modern family planning methods.
“As a Champion, I am dedicated to promoting these crucial issues and driving positive change. I am deeply appreciative of the UNFPA, who have graciously extended their consistent support to this coalition. It fills me with great anticipation to collaborate with them and our UN counterparts,” Madam Boakai explained. Madam Boakai committed a commitment to universal health coverage and the establishment of a National Health Insurance Scheme, ensuring that no one is left behind.
The First Lady rallied Liberians, “Let us engage our communities, our men and allies, to dismantle the barriers that delay life-saving care. When a child in Liberia suffers, it is a whisper of conscience to the world. When we heal a mother, we do not just save a life; we uplift humanity.”
Also in a remark at the official program, Liberia’s Health Minister of Health, Dr. Louise M. Kpoto, emphasized its underpinning importance as a fundamental human right. Addressing the social determinants of health and reducing poverty and social inequalities will ultimately narrow the gap in achieving universal access to health services and the Rescue Mission takes precisely an essence.
The Minister reassured that the Ministry of Health would collaborate with all stakeholders to strengthen the health system in which everyone, everywhere will have access to quality health services including improving safe drinking water, sanitation, and nutrition.
“Women should not die while giving life. Let us safeguard the precious lives of women and their newborns because is their right to live,” the Minister stated. To tackle the challenges ahead, Dr. Louise M. Kpoto named the First Lady, Madam Kartumu Y. Boakai, as Chair and Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Dabah M. Varlipah, as Co-chair to champion Maternal and Newborn Health in Liberia.
“Today, I will unveil the maternal and child health champions and co-champions who will galvanize the political support to tackle the high maternal and neonatal deaths in our country,” Dr. Louise M. Kpoto.
For her end, the chair of the health committee on Health, Hon. Dabah Varlipeh, who also accepted her role as co-chair champion, reflected on her situation in rural Liberia when she gave birth to twins, two beautiful girls who couldn’t make it after 24 hours due to the lack of equipped health facilities.
“I stand before you as a Liberian woman, a mother, and grandmother who has experienced first-hand fears of childbirth, almost a death sentence for women especially in rural and low-income households, Hon. Dabah Varlipeh reflected.
She continued, as we reflect on this year’s theme ‘My Health, My Right,’ I am reminded of my own experiences over three decades ago when my motherhood journey began with a terrible lifelong experience in my dear Grand Cape Mount County as a first-timer. I went into labor 6 weeks before my time and gave birth to two strong beautiful baby girls and boys who could not survive beyond 24 hours, simply because there were no government facilities to keep them warm. The only referral hospital them at the St. Timothy Hospital in Grand Cape Mount County.
Senator Varlipe noted that health is a timely human right, especially for mothers and their newborns. She says Liberia stands at a critical junction in this journey towards improving healthcare outcomes, especially in rural Liberia for maternal and newborn health.
“Despite considerable progress, our nation continues to grapple with an unacceptably high burden of birth and disabilities amongst pregnant women and newborns,” Senator Dabah Varlipeh emphasized.
