(Monrovia, Liberia, April 21, 2026)—Ahead of the Government’s Inter-Agency Food Safety& Sanitary Inspection Taskforce Official Launch, scheduled for Wednesday April 22, 2026, the Ministry of Health through its Environmental and Occupational Health Unit, has concluded a one-day stakeholders engagement meeting, a strategic occasion intended to strengthen governance resilience in coordinating efficiency and accountability to assure Food Safety, Water Quality, Sanitation, and Hygiene Service delivery oversight.

 The stakeholders’ engagement meeting gathered participants from across Businesses, line ministries, agencies, and commissions, including the WASH Commission, Liberia National Police, Liberia Standards Authority, Ministry of Public Works, National Public Health Institute of Liberia, D’Calabash Restaurant, Golden Gate Hotel, Corina Hotel, Environmental Protection Agency, among several others.

Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Anthony Fortune, Assistant Minister for Vital Statistics, emphasized that food safety and all other safety inspections are not just technical issues but a public health priority, economic necessity, and a fundamental human right that must not be ignored.

According to him, unsaved food puts serious risk to citizens’ health, and as such, all-line ministries, agencies, and Commissions must ensure clear coordinated mechanisms, shared commitment, sustained actions, and accountability for a tangible result that improves the health and well-being of Liberian.

“ success of this task force involves all of us in this room, foodsafety and all other safety inspection is not just a technical issue, but also a public health priority and economic necessity and fundamental human right, unsafe food possess serious risk to our health and contribute to disease burden which undermines our national development, the establishment of this taskforce reflects the government recognition and the president priority that ensuring food safety requires a coordinated multi-sectoral approach, no single institution can address the complexities of food safety, everybody is important.

As we prepare to launch this task force, we must recognize that the responsibility comes from all of us in this room today. The effectiveness of this initiative will depend on our shared commitment, clear coordination mechanism, accountability, and sustained actions.” Dr. Fortune emphasized.

Dr. Fortune further thanked participants for their turnout and willingness to work together in the best interest of the country.

For his part, Mr. Morris G. Gono Jr, the Executive Director of WASH Commission providing an update on the jointinspections’plansstated that the exercise is expected to have six (6) teams inclusive of 6-8 members from line ministries, Commission, and agencies, in Montserrado, with a daily target of fifteen (15) facilities to be cover within the six(6) health districts.

The Ministry of Health, through its Environmental and Occupational Health Unit, along with stakeholders, line ministries, the Commission, and agencies, is set to officially launch the Inter-Agencies Task Force to ensure Food Safety, Water Quality, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services are improved across the country. The launch will take place on April 22, 2026, at the Ministry of Health in Congo Town.

The Inter-Agencies integrated approach aims at harmonizing compliance monitoring and inspection activities, thereby reducing fragmentation among regulatory agencies, strengthening coordination, and improving service delivery. The joint efforts will focus on promoting Food safety, water quality, sanitation, and hygiene services for consumers. While ensuring clients’ protection and sustaining service quality to increase health outcomes among citizens and residents in Liberia.

It is being headed by the Ministry of Health, which is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Presidential mandates with stakeholders, including government actors, the private sector, CSOs, NOGs, partners and service providers involved with the production, management, and provision of services in Food Safety, Water Quality, Sanitation and Hygiene related activities in Liberia.

The mandate came during the March 2026 Cabinet Meeting, when H.E. Joseph N. Boakai Sr, President of the Republic of Liberia, requested Dr. Louise M. Kpoto, Minister of Health, to institute an Inter-Agencies Taskforce with mandates to harmonize and coordinate effective compliance monitoring and inspection activities on Food safety, Water quality, Sanitation, and Hygiene improvement across Liberia.

Therefore, in fulfillment of the Presidential mandates, this National Inter-Agencies and Stakeholders Engagement Meeting is planned to strengthen the Integrated Compliance Monitoring and Inspections of Food Safety, Water quality, Sanitation, and Hygiene services in Liberia