Monrovia, Liberia - Liberia’s Vice President, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, has described the USAID-sponsored Maternal &Child Survival Program (MCSP) as essential to tackling some of the health challenges confronting the country’s health sector.

The Program is aimed at strengthening the capability and resilience of Liberia’s frontline health workforce to address second order impacts from the Ebola crisis while strengthening pre-service training of midwives and laboratory personnel.

In Special Remarks at the MCSP Learning and Dissemination Event Thursday, September 13, 2018, at a local hotel, VP-Howard-Taylor said the initiative is consistent with the Government’s pro-poor initiatives and would greatly help by strengthening service delivery in maternal and new-born heath.

Said VP Howard-Taylor, “One key strand of your germane objectives is to decrease maternal mortality by increasing births in clinics and births attended by skilled birth attendants (midwives) and to strengthen existing maternal health services, community networks and include new service points.  These go to the nerve of unshackling our underserved populations from this inhibiting phenomenon of maternal and child mortality.”

The comments of the Liberian Vice President were contained in Special Remarks delivered on her behalf by Mr. Anthony V. Kesselly, Senior Policy Specialist in her Office.

Conveying the Vice President’s message, Mr. Kesselly urged the donors and implementers of the program to press forward with the initiative, which he noted is aimed at bringing relief to the people and lifting Liberia onto a loftier and enviable level. 

He recalled,“The onslaught by the Ebola Virus Disease—which came from our blind side--and its intensity exacted such massive toll on this nation was such a rude awakening that left us ever alert and in perpetual motion, is search of more viable and sustainable health care delivery system.”

According to Mr. Kesselly the after effect of this devastating scourge sent the country rallying and marshalling all partners and resources to construct a system to fill the colossal void that had this country at such incalculable risk.

“In this frantic quest to render our health system potent and sustainable, we were able to mobilize resources, assemble our best minds in the trade, and generate partners support to evolve what we now have as the Investment Plan for Building a Resilient Health System in Liberia 2015 to 2021”, Mr.Kesselly quoted the Vice President.  

In the message Mr. Kesselly said the VP noted that this Plan carries ambitious, but realistic, projections as to where the country wants to be in the three plus years.

He said the Vice President assured that this Government, led by His Excellency President George Manneh Weah, carries a burning desire to uplift the general and particular situation of every sector of the population, and therefore sees this USAID initiative as a great help in uplifting the sector.