The Liberian government has ordered the immediate activation of its Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) surveillance network across all 15 counties, effective Monday, following the declaration of Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEIC) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The directive, signed by Health Minister Wilmot B. Nelson, mandates heightened screening at all ports of entry—including Robert International Airport, Monrovia’s seaport, and land borders with Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire—with thermal scanners deployed at high-risk transit points.
Liberia’s response comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed 12 new EVD cases in Uganda’s Mubende district last week, the first outbreak in the country since 2019. The DRC, meanwhile, has reported 1,300 cases and 550 deaths since the current outbreak began in August 2023, with transmission linked to a previously unrecognized strain. Health officials in Monrovia cite Liberia’s proximity to both nations—sharing a 760-kilometer border with Guinea, a country that experienced its last EVD outbreak in 2016—as a critical vulnerability.
The new measures include mandatory temperature checks for all incoming travelers, quarantine protocols for suspected cases, and the reinstatement of EVD response teams at district health facilities. The Ministry of Health has also activated a 24-hour hotline for reporting suspicious symptoms, while the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) will conduct rapid diagnostic testing at designated centers. “We are not taking any chances,” Nelson told reporters. “The lessons of 2014–2016 are still fresh in our collective memory.”
Liberia’s preparedness efforts are being coordinated with regional partners, including the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and the African Union’s Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The WHO has pledged technical support, including the deployment of a rapid-response team to Monrovia, though funding for large-scale vaccine procurement remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Liberia’s civil society groups, including the Liberia Medical Association, have called for increased transparency in case reporting and community engagement, citing past distrust in government-led health initiatives.
The government’s announcement follows a high-level meeting on Friday between President George Weah and senior health officials, during which the president emphasized the need to “prevent a repeat of the past.” Liberia’s last EVD outbreak, which lasted from December 2013 to June 2016, resulted in over 4,800 deaths and exposed systemic weaknesses in the country’s health infrastructure. While the current measures focus on containment, health experts warn that sustained funding and regional cooperation will be essential to mitigating the risk of cross-border transmission.
As of Monday evening, no EVD cases had been reported in Liberia, but the Ministry of Health confirmed that three travelers arriving from Uganda last week were placed under observation after exhibiting fever and fatigue. The NPHIL has since ruled out EVD in those cases, though the incident prompted the government to accelerate the deployment of additional surveillance teams to rural health posts.
The next critical phase of Liberia’s response will depend on the outcome of a donor conference scheduled for next week in Accra, Ghana, where funding for EVD preparedness in West Africa will be discussed. The African Union has already allocated $2 million to support Liberia’s response, but health officials stress that additional resources are needed to scale up testing, contact tracing, and public awareness campaigns.
