(Lusaka, Zambia – November 25, 2025) – A high-level Liberian delegation from the Ministry of Health has participated in the continental social data workshop held in Lusaka, Zambia, from November 18 – 20, 2025. The three-day intensive capacity strengthening workshop, organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with technical support provided by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) focused on mainstreaming social and behavioral data to inform and strengthen immunization programs, public health emergencies, and primary healthcare systems across the continent.
The continental workshop aimed to strengthen regional collaboration and national capacity for the systematic use of social and behavioral data to inform immunization, public health emergency, and primary healthcare programs. This initiative seeks to establish a collaborative platform for coordinated data generation, sharing, and interpretation among countries and partners in the African region which will enable evidence-based decision-making, adaptive program design, and strengthening of the health sector. It’ll also identify key gaps in data use, research, and policy translation to guide future investments and advance equitable, trusted, and people-centered healthcare services.
The Liberian delegation, comprising key figures from the government and UNICEF Liberia, brought a wealth of practical experience to the strategic discussions. The Ministry of Health was represented by Mr. Mac N. Nelson, Pillar Lead for Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE); Mr. Jerome Korvah, Director of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E); Mr. Amadu T. Bah, Deputy Director for Communication & Health Promotion; and Mrs. Lahannah V. Jawara, Coordinator for Message and Materials Design (MMD). Madame Musu M. Deshield, Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Specialist, represented UNICEF Liberia.
Mr. Amadu T. Bah, Deputy Director for Communication and Health Promotion – MOH, provided insight on the state of social and behavioral data at the Ministry of Health in Liberia. “Where we have focal groups, for specific areas, we use immunization champions. We believe that focal groups will work in rural areas using traditional leaders and religious leaders in the urban areas. Other actions that we take using the broadcast media, print media, visual media, and social media can influence the remaining segments of the population,“ he stated.
Representing UNICEF Liberia and providing technical support to the Liberian delegation, Madame Musu Mitchell Deshield, SBC Specialist, informed the continental gathering on where Liberia has come in regards to social and behavioral data, and the support that UNICEF will provide to the Government of the Republic of Liberia in the coming years to ensure social and behavioral data are included into the national health management information system.
The Liberian delegation participated alongside several other national and institutional delegations, including those from Sierra Leone, Lesotho, South Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, UNICEF, Africa CDC, and WHO. The workshop concluded with a shared commitment among all participants to advance the use of social and behavioral data to build a more resilient and data-driven public healthcare system across the continent.
The Ministry of Health remains committed to ensure that social and behavioral data are collected, analyzed and used to inform decision-making in all aspects of the health sector.