As part of its national obligation to annually review implementation efforts, the Ministry of Health, through its National Malaria Control Program, in collaboration with partners, WHO, Catholic Relief Services, PMI-REACH, Jhpiego, Liberia Malaria Youth Corps, and others, has concluded its annual review meeting in Ganta, Nimba County.
The meeting brought together participants from all 15 counties, including County Health Officers (CHOs), Monitoring and Evaluation officers, County Malaria Focal persons, and County Diagnostic officers.
The event aimed to deliberate on progress made, key lessons learned from January to November 2025, and to develop a harmonized work plan for 2026 through a multi-stakeholder process. This plan will support the three guiding principles of the malaria program: one program, one strategic plan, and one monitoring and evaluation plan.
The review meeting featured several county-level presentations on updates to malaria intervention implementation, achievements, challenges, and lessons learned over the review period.
Additionally, national and subnational trends in malaria indicators were presented, providing a clearer understanding that guided participants on the development of a comprehensive malaria-specific work plan that incorporates the priorities of all county health teams and partners for January to December 2026, providing a clear roadmap to guide implementation efforts in the coming year.
Speaking during the review, Dr. Lorraine C. Cooper, Director of County Health Services at the Ministry of Health, encouraged participants to explore innovations that will further strengthen the country’s efforts to reduce the burden of malaria.
“We all know the global burden of malaria remains high in sub-Saharan Africa, and Liberia is no exception. Malaria continues to be a leading cause of febrile illnesses in children under five at our various health facilities and remains one of the major drivers of illness in our health system.
You have all been involved in this fight, county health officers and their teams working together. We also know that our environment is endemic, so we cannot let our guard down. Considering that we will continue to experience seasonal changes, we must continue to find effective ways to address malaria complications in our country. Dr. Cooper emphasized.
Dr. Trokon Washington, Program Manager of the National Malaria Control Program, extended profound gratitude to the Minister of Health, Dr. Louise M Kpoto, for her continued support of the Malaria program and further thanked participants for their turnout, stressing the need for counties and implementing partners to make necessary adjustments to their work plans for the coming year.
“I want to firstly thank my boss, Dr. Louise M. Kpoto, for always supporting our work. The Minister is very strong on actions, and she doesn’t just sit and watch us, but equally remain involve with her programs and units to see that the work is done. It is customary that every year we conduct a review to help us adjust, especially considering the current reality of significant financial cuts. We must meet to revise how we plan to ensure that interventions continue.
Dr. Washington stated.
For their part, participants from the fifteen counties and partner institutions acknowledged the importance of the review process and pledged their commitment to working with the National Malaria Control Program to ensure the smooth implementation of malaria interventions in the coming year 2026.