Kerry A. Dolan/ Forbes Staff
In late July, the government of Liberia announced a bold plan to deliver healthcare to the nearly 30% of its population that lives in remote areas more than an hour’s walk from a health clinic.
Under the leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the government, assisted by a host of partners, launched a program to train and deploy 4,000 community health assistants between now and 2020.
Liberia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Bernice Dahn, noted at the launch event in the country’s capital, Monrovia, that fewer than half of women who give birth in rural areas have a skilled attendant present during labor and delivery. Under the new program, “these rural communities will have access to life-saving services and they will be empowered to mitigate potential health risks within their own families and communities,” Minister Dahn said in a statement.
By the end of next year, the first 2,000 community health assistants will be trained and deployed, according to the health minister. The CHAs will be paid $60 a month – replacing the patchy volunteer network that now exists in some locations – and will be supervised by nurses and physician assistants. The primary goals of the program are to reduce maternal and child mortality and build a resilient health care system. READ MORE OF THIS REPORT
SOURCES: Forbes online
