(Monrovia, Liberia – March 24, 2025) In a continued effort to raise public awareness about the impact of Tuberculosis (TB) in Liberia and to encourage citizens to collaborate with healthcare providers in eliminating the disease, the Ministry of Health, through its National Leprosy and Tuberculosis Control Program, joined the global community in commemorating World TB Day.
The event was held under the theme “Yes! We Can End TB” and the slogan “Commit, Invest, Deliver.”
The celebration began with a grand parade from the Ministry of Health in Congo Town, culminating in an indoor program at Paynesville City Hall. This year’s theme highlights a collective message of hope, urgency, and accountability, emphasizing the importance of sustained commitment, financial investment, and the effective delivery of interventions critical to TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care—ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against the disease. The event brought together government officials, health professionals, international partners, university and high school students, and other concerned Liberians to discuss strategies for tackling TB in the country.
Delivering the President’s Proclamation, Patrick W. Brooks Jr., a student of Elizabeth Crawford Memorial High School, read President Joseph Nyumah Boakai Sr.’s statement, calling for urgent collaborative efforts to eliminate TB in Liberia. “Liberia is classified as one of the 30 high-burden TB countries in the world, with an estimated incidence rate of 308 per 100,000 population (WHO, 2021). In 2023, the National Leprosy and Tuberculosis Control Program notified 7,447 TB cases, with 100% of cases tested for HIV. Of those tested, 10% were TB/HIV co-infected, and 90% of co-infected patients were placed on ART. Additionally, Liberia recorded 156 cases of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), with 81% of those cases initiated on treatment.”
The President reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to the global fight against TB, calling on all stakeholders to commit, invest, and deliver to end the disease. “I, Joseph Nyumah Boakai Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, by virtue of the authority vested in me, do hereby declare and proclaim Monday, March 24, 2025, as ‘World TB Day,’ to be observed as a working holiday throughout the Republic. Furthermore, I request that the Ministry of Health, government agencies, and international organizations initiate and execute appropriate programs in commemoration of this day,” the President declared. As part of the event, First Lady Kartumu Y. Boakai was officially appointed as National Tuberculosis Champion under the Ministry of Health. She pledged to advocate for TB awareness and resources to support Liberia’s TB programs in her new role.
The First Lady donated 50 Olympus microscopes, provided by the Global Fund, to enhance TB diagnostic services across the country. “As the First Lady of the Republic of Liberia, maternal health champion, and the mother of the nation, I am honored to dedicate these 50 Olympus microscopes to strengthen our laboratory diagnostic services, ensuring more accurate and timely TB detection,” her message, delivered by Media and Communications Consultant Varfee Holmes, stated. She further urged all Liberians to take preventive measures, such as early testing, proper treatment adherence, and maintaining healthy living conditions, to help reduce TB transmission. Also, speaking at the event, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Catherine T. Cooper emphasized the need for community-level awareness campaigns to reduce TB-related stigma and encourage those affected to seek treatment. “We cannot gather here today without raising awareness about TB. This disease is killing many Liberians, and we must act now. I urge every one of you to become TB ambassadors, spreading awareness in your communities and helping to reduce stigma,” she said.
Dr. Cooper also stressed the importance of appointing community champions to advocate for TB elimination and mobilize resources for effective intervention programs. The program also featured a powerful testimony from Diamond Chegbo Young, a TB survivor, who shared his journey from being a multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patient to recovery. “I was once dependent on oxygen while seeking medical treatment at the TB Annex. After years of commitment to my treatment, with support from the Ministry of Health and its partners, I am now healthy and free from TB,” Young narrated. He called on the Liberian government and international partners to invest more resources into TB programs to achieve a TB-free Liberia. “If we must end TB in Liberia, we need more funding and better healthcare infrastructure. I call on the President and all partners to make TB elimination a national priority,” Young urged.
The World TB Day commemoration in Liberia served as a call to action for all stakeholders—government, health professionals, partners, and communities—to commit, invest, and deliver in the fight against TB. With the proclamation of March 24 as a working holiday, the appointment of the First Lady as TB Champion, and testimonies from survivors like Diamond Young, the event reinforced the urgency and importance of sustained efforts to end TB in Liberia.