(Monrovia, Liberia, April 3, 2025)– The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) has convened a national stakeholders consultative meeting to discuss the introduction of the Hepatitis B birth dose vaccine. The meeting was held in collaboration with Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) programs and focused on planning, implementation, and monitoring strategies to ensure the effective administration of the vaccine. It aims to strengthen Liberia’s health system and improve newborn immunization coverage nationwide. As part of the deliberations, EPI stakeholders outlined key action points to support the rollout of the vaccine. A joint plan will be developed in collaboration with MNCH to integrate the vaccine into delivery sites. This plan will include a detailed micro-plan for vaccine delivery, ensuring accessibility at all designated health facilities.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health will conduct training for nurses, health workers, and community health workers (CHWs) involved in maternal care. The goal is to enhance awareness, promote institutional deliveries, and facilitate vaccination for home deliveries. The stakeholders also agreed on a robust monitoring framework to track vaccination coverage.

EPI and MNCH will conduct joint monitoring exercises to assess the challenges affecting low vaccine uptake. Regular joint review meetings will be held to evaluate progress and identify gaps in service delivery. These measures are expected to enhance coordination and improve vaccination rates, especially in remote and underserved communities. On the MNCH front, the program will collaborate with EPI to provide a comprehensive list of all delivery points. This information will guide the establishment of vaccine storage points near delivery sites, ensuring the timely administration of the birth dose vaccine. MNCH will also oversee the training of its staff and share standard operating procedures (SOPs) for vaccine administration at antenatal care (ANC) and delivery sites. Furthermore, efforts will be made to incentivize institutional deliveries and raise public awareness to ensure newborns receive the vaccine within 24 hours of birth.

To sustain the initiative, MNCH will implement a continuous monitoring system for Hepatitis B birth dose vaccination at all delivery points. Postnatal services will also incorporate vaccine tracking to ensure no newborn is left unvaccinated. The consultative meeting concluded with a call for collective commitment from all stakeholders to strengthen Liberia’s immunization efforts and protect newborns from Hepatitis B infections.