IPNEWS: By Amos Harris
Liberia remains free of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), but a nationwide preparedness assessment has uncovered significant weaknesses in the country’s public health response system that authorities say require urgent attention to prevent future outbreaks.
Speaking at a press conference in Monrovia, the Acting Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL).
Dr. Sia Wata Camanor, assured the public that there is no Ebola outbreak in the country. However, she stressed that the government’s month-long nationwide assessment exposed several operational deficiencies that must be addressed to strengthen national preparedness.
According to Dr. Camanor, a multidisciplinary team conducted assessments across all 15 counties, evaluating disease surveillance systems, designated Points of Entry, Emergency Operations Centers, laboratories, and isolation facilities.
The exercise also included inspections of 15 official Points of Entry, comprising nine land border crossings, four seaports, and two international airports.
While the assessment confirmed that Liberia has retained many of the surveillance structures established after the devastating 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, it also highlighted serious logistical and operational challenges.
The country currently has 98 District Surveillance Officers, 17 County Surveillance Officers, and 22 Zonal Surveillance Officers monitoring disease threats nationwide.
Despite these gains, Dr. Camanor acknowledged that several border points continue to face shortages of transportation, motorcycles, personal protective equipment, logistics, and trained personnel.
These shortcomings, she warned, could undermine the country’s ability to detect and respond rapidly to any imported Ebola case.
The assessment further found that Liberia’s 16 Public Health Emergency Operations Centers remain functional but require substantial investment to improve communication systems, computer equipment, backup electricity, and other critical infrastructure needed during public health emergencies.
Dr. Camanor praised the Government of Liberia and international partners, including the World Bank, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC).
The World Health Organization (WHO), and other development partners, for providing operational funding, motorcycles, laboratory supplies, solar energy systems, and Starlink internet connectivity to strengthen preparedness efforts.
Providing an update on border surveillance, Dr. Camanor disclosed that health authorities have screened 987 travelers at designated Points of Entry since May 17, 2026.
Of that total, 966 travelers representing 98 percent have successfully completed the mandatory 21-day monitoring period, while the remaining 21 individuals continue to be monitored by health officials.
She confirmed that none of the monitored travelers has developed signs or symptoms of Ebola.
The Acting NPHIL Director General said Liberia’s laboratory network remains capable of detecting Ebola cases but emphasized that sustained maintenance, adequate supplies, and continued investment are essential to preserve the country’s diagnostic capacity.
She added that NPHIL, working alongside the Ministry of Health and development partners, will immediately begin implementing recommendations from the nationwide assessment, including strengthening surveillance systems, improving border infrastructure, filling staffing gaps, expanding emergency response capacity, and upgrading laboratories and isolation facilities.
Dr. Camanor concluded by reiterating that the nationwide assessment was conducted as a preventive measure and should not be interpreted as evidence of an Ebola outbreak.
She described preparedness as Liberia’s strongest defense against future health emergencies and called on citizens to maintain proper hygiene, promptly report unusual illnesses, cooperate with health authorities, and rely only on verified information from credible government sources.
