Public Health Expert and Award Winning Liberian Scientist, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, has described the Ministry of Health’s proposed US$4.2 million Ebola preparedness budget as excessive, controversial, and lacking sufficient justification.
In a statement posted on social media, Dr. Nyan argued that the proposed budget is higher than NPHIL’s annual national budget allocation of approximately US$3.3 million and suggested that a budget of about US$1.3 million would be adequate for current preparedness efforts.
The former NPHIL boss further noted that the proposed Liberian preparedness budget compares unfavorably with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s reported US$7.3 million response budget despite that country currently battling an active Ebola outbreak.
Dr. Nyan maintained that Liberia already possesses critical outbreak-response infrastructure established during the 2014 Ebola crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent disease outbreaks. According to him, existing isolation centers and preparedness facilities across the country could be rapidly reactivated with significantly less funding.
Questioning the basis for the proposed allocation, Dr. Nyan said it remains unclear what criteria informed the Ministry of Health’s budget proposal. He emphasized that budget planning in advanced health systems is guided by established benchmarks to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
The public health expert also highlighted NPHIL’s response to concurrent outbreaks of Mpox, Lassa Fever, and Measles between August 2024 and December 2025, claiming that the institute successfully contained the outbreaks with less than US$300,000 while maintaining financial prudence.
Dr. Nyan additionally criticized what he described as growing political interference in technical public health operations, alleging that the Ministry of Health has assumed responsibilities that legally belong to NPHIL. He warned that such practices could undermine transparency, accountability, and the morale of trained epidemiologists and scientists.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nyan stressed that, to his knowledge, there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola in Liberia. However, he urged the public to remain vigilant by practicing regular handwashing and sanitizing, avoiding handshakes and hugs, limiting exposure to crowded places, and promptly reporting symptoms to health authorities.
The Ministry of Health has yet to publicly respond to Dr. Nyan’s concerns regarding the proposed Ebola preparedness budget. Courtesy of Spoon
