(Monrovia, Liberia, March 27, 2026)—The Ministry of Health (MOH) has welcomed the 18th China Medical Team while bidding farewell to their predecessors, in a ceremony that blended gratitude, diplomacy, and a shared commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery.
Speaking at the program commemorating the 21st anniversary of the re-deployment of the China Medical team to Liberia, the Minister of Health, Dr. Louise Mapleh Kpoto, underscored the enduring importance of China’s support to the country’s health system, ranging from infrastructure and capacity building to the provision of essential medical supplies. “We are grateful to the Chinese government for its support,” she said, reflecting both institutional appreciation and personal experience. “To the 17th medical team, I benefited from one of the team members at the JFK as a practicing doctor years back. When this doctor came, she helped and even started teaching us. I salute you all.”
Turning to the incoming team, Dr. Kpoto said: “The terrain you’re coming into is very difficult. Sometimes it will get lonely,” she added, urging resilience while reaffirming the Ministry’s backing. She also thanked the Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, H. E. Amb. Yin Chengwu, for what she described as consistent support to Liberia’s health sector.
Ambassador Yin described the transition as part of decades-long partnership. He praised the outgoing 17th team for completing their mission “with honor,” while welcoming the 18th team to an evolving collaboration. “Medical and health cooperation is an important part of China-Liberia relations,” Amb. Yin said, noting that Chinese medical teams have been deployed to Liberia since 1984. He highlighted the 17th team’s work in clinical care, public health outreach and training, including medical tours and free clinics that reached underserved communities. Their efforts, he said, had “earned widespread acclaim” and deepened bilateral ties.
Amb. Yin expressed confidence in the incoming team’s ability to build on that legacy. He also announced a donation of medical supplies worth $50,000.00USD, including birthing chairs, pinard stethoscope and speculums, geared towards improving maternal and newborn care, particularly in remote areas.
At the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Liberia’s largest referral hospital, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Emmanuel Tamba, placed the collaboration within a wider historical and economic context. He pointed to China’s role in major infrastructure projects across Liberia, as well as its growing footprint in trade and investment. In healthcare, he said, the partnership has focused on infrastructure, technical assistance and capacity building, from the construction of key facilities to the establishment of Liberia’s first cardiology unit at JFK. “The JFKMC has a unique relationship with the Chinese Government,” Tamba noted, citing a hospital pairing mechanism with Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital in China that provides specialist training and clinical support.
The Chinese teams, he added, continue to deliver expertise across multiple disciplines, including surgery, gynecology, ophthalmology and internal medicine. He offered “immense gratitude” to the outgoing team while extending a “wholehearted welcome” to their successors.
Representing the departing doctors, Dr. Bian Fengming, reflected on a year marked by both hardship and purpose. The team, he said, had worked across clinics and operating theatres, travelled to remote communities for outreach, and contributed to training local staff and advancing the cardiology partnership at JFK. “These days were difficult but meaningful,” he said. “They will be our most valuable memory.”
Formally handing over responsibilities, he expressed confidence in the incoming team’s ability to continue the work and deepen cooperation. “We will leave Liberia soon, but our friendship will last forever,” he added.
Dr. Cong Rixin, speaking on behalf of the 18th medical team, described a group of specialists spanning internal medicine, surgery, traditional Chinese medicine, nursing and more, all trained extensively in preparation for their mission. “The torch is passed on, and the mission lies ahead,” he said.
Dr. Cong pledged that the team would not only deliver clinical services but also share medical knowledge, expand outreach and work closely with Liberian counterparts and institutions. Emphasizing continuity, he said the team would uphold the long-standing ethos of Chinese medical missions, including endurance, dedication and compassion. “True friends know no distance,” he said, pointing to more than 40 years of cooperation that have, in his words, “forged a deep bond” between the two nations.
The eight (8) newly arrived medical doctors will be deployed at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFK), where they are expected to strengthen the hospital’s capacity to deliver specialized healthcare services.
They include a range of specialists whose expertise will help buttress critical areas of the country’s tertiary healthcare system, particularly in advanced diagnosis, surgical interventions, and patient management. Their presence is anticipated to ease the burden on existing medical staff while improving access to quality care for patients across Liberia.