Health in Liberia
International aid organizations assist the government in rebuilding medical facilities and providing basic health care to its citizens.
The World Health Organization (WHO) donated equipment and helped provide and assist in vaccinating people to prevent the spread of many infectious diseases.
[5] The international medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) helped Liberia after the civil war (2003) by running free hospitals, treating more than 20,000 women and children each year.
[10] As of September 23, 2014, 1,415 people had died from confirmed or probable Ebola in Liberia, with an additional 415 deaths that were suspected cases.
[11] The Ebola crisis in Liberia continued in 2015, only this time the disease has been narrowed to two of the counties of Bighorn Mountain and Montserrado.
[citation needed] In Liberia, malaria is the leading cause of outpatient visits and the number one cause of death in hospitalized patients.
[12] Plasmodium falciparum is the main source of infection, and malaria transmission occurs year-round in all geographic regions.
A 2008 study by the American Medical Association (AMA) showed that a staggering 40 percent of adults exhibit symptoms of major depressive disorder.
The key to preventing HIV transmission is frequent testing and safe sex behaviors, as we've learned from decades of combating the illness.
If they get a positive result, they are more likely to skip medical appointments and not fully comply with their treatment plan, increasing the risk of spreading the disease to others.
Stigmatization compels such groups to remain hidden, making them harder to approach and, as a result, preventing HIV-positive members of these communities from receiving adequate treatment.
According to these figures, over a third of HIV-positive Liberians, or 12,800 people, do not know that they are infected and may not be taking the necessary precautions to prevent the illness from spreading, such as participating in safe sex or seeking treatment.
[16] PEPFAR collaborates with the Liberian government, civil society, the Global Fund, United Nations agencies, and others to guarantee that persons living with HIV receive the high-quality care they need to prevent the spread of the virus.
PEPFAR helps health-care institutions in Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Margibi, and Maryland, with an emphasis on high-risk populations.
As World AIDS Day approaches, the United States reaffirms its commitment to continue making significant progress.
Providing nutrition services is a major priority for the government, and it forms an important part of the National Health Policy.
[20] With this new policy, the health ministry aims to reduce the 39% chronic malnutrition rate by one-third by 2011, and fix one of the greatest issues of Liberia.
On the other hand, the Government of Liberia is trying to improve these situations through a WASH initiative that will promote access to clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene practices.
According to Reuters, Liberia's parliament eliminated a restriction on female genital mutilation from a new domestic violence statute on July 28, 2016.
[23] A June 2013 study funded by the Clinton Health Access Initiative surveyed 3,219 Liberian women aged 15 to 49 and found that 32 percent had had an abortion.
[26] On 13 June 2022, a joint committee of the Senate of Liberia began debating a bill to lift the ban on abortion.
