Liberia's First Health Workforce Program Strategy: Reflections and Lessons Learned

Ann Glob Health. 2021 Oct 8;87(1):95. doi: 10.5334/aogh.3242. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Following civil war and the Ebola epidemic, Liberia's health workforce was devastated, essential health services and primary care were disrupted, and health outcomes for maternal and child mortality were amongst the worst in the world. To reverse these trends, the government of Liberia developed the Health Workforce Program (HWP) Strategy 2015-2021. With the goal of building a resilient and responsive health system to ensure access to essential services and the ability to respond to future crises, this strategy aimed to add 6,000 new professionals to the workforce. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we share lessons learned from the program's development and first years of implementation.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Child
  • Health Workforce*
  • Humans
  • Liberia / epidemiology
  • Pandemics
  • SARS-CoV-2

Grants and funding

RRHS Liberia is conducted with support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as part of an award totaling $9.5 million. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, PEPFAR, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.