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LIHEDE Works To Save The
Liberian People From Malaria
LIHEDE Works To Save The
Liberian People From Malaria
LIHEDE
Works To Save The Liberian People From Malaria
Syrulwa Somah,
PhD. --
Executive
Director, LIHEDE
Telephone: (336)
456-8075
Greensboro (March 19, 2008)
: The
Liberian History, Education, & Development, Inc. (LIHIDE) is
delighted by news from Bomi County, Liberia that the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the
Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare have
formalized agreement for disbursement of US$37.5 to Liberia
under President George Bush’s President Malaria Initiative
Program (PMI) at US$12.5 each year over a next-three year
period to combat malaria in Liberia.
LIHEDE is delighted because when
LIHEDE first launched its “WE WANT NO MORE MALARIA IN
Liberia” campaign beginning with an international
symposium in the U.S. on “Combating Malaria in Post-Conflict
Liberia” in 2005, Liberia was not even in contention for
inclusion on the list of countries to benefit from President
Bush’s PMI program.
LIHEDE sees the historic launching
of President George W. Bush Malaria Initiative (PMI) in the
new Liberia as both a great milestone in raising public
consciousness about and containing the malaria epidemic in
Liberia, and a reaffirmation that Liberia cannot build a
strong, prosperous, and democratic society without a
healthy people, especially where malaria has been a key
irritant in the socioeconomic growth and development of
Liberia due to the huge death rates and treatment costs
associated with malaria epidemic in Liberia.
Pres. George Bush
LIHEDE is more gratified that its
efforts in the last three years or so to bring to local and
international attention the poor status of malaria treatment
and control in Liberia, and the devastating effects of
malaria on the human capital, economic viability, and
productive resources of Liberia, have begun to yield huge
dividends for the Liberian government and people, as evident
by the $36 million granted under PMI to fight malaria in
Liberia, and new infusions of monetary and non-monetary
donations by the Chinese, German, and other governments, as
well as the Global Fund and other such bodies toward current
malaria treatment, prevention, control, and eradication
efforts in Liberia.
Pres. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
LIHEDE recalls that when it first
launched its “WE WANT NO MORE MALARIA IN Liberia”
campaign in the U.S. in 2005 and invited USAID, the U.S.
Center for Disease Control, the Director of the Malaria
Program at the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social
Welfare, and health professionals from top American and
Liberian institutions and organizations to an international
symposium to discuss and map out appropriate strategies for
the treatment, prevention, and control of malaria in
Liberia, many Liberians dismissed the LIHEDE’s efforts at
the time as misguided. But undaunted, LIHEDE not only shared
the resolution from the 2005 Malaria Symposium with the
Liberian government, USAID, and other governmental and
non-governmental institutions to raise public awareness of
the acute nature of the malaria epidemic in Liberia, but
LIHEDE also decided to host a National Health Conference in
Liberia to share the findings of the 2005 Malaria symposium
with the Liberian government and people with the goal of
formulating a national malaria policy for Liberia.
LIHEDE organized and hosted the
first National Health Conference in Monrovia in December
2006, in collaboration with the Liberian Health Ministry and
other public and private entities in Liberia , geared toward
malaria treatment, control, and eradication in Liberia . It
was, however, during the Monrovia Conference that the U.S.
Embassy near Monrovia extended an invitation LIHEDE
officials to witness the historic announcement made by
President George W. Bush via satellite that Liberia had been
selected as a focused country to benefit from the
President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) funds, which was broken
down initially for disbursement in two installments at
US$2.8 million dollars in 2007 and US$12 million dollars in
2008. LIHEDE is therefore proud that through its letter
writing and symposium initiatives, Liberia was finally added
to the PMI list of countries, and Liberia is now set to get
US$37.5 million over three years instead of the initial
amount of US$14.8 million over two years to combat
malaria in Liberia.
LIHEDE feels passionate about
malaria treatment, prevention, and control in Liberia and
this is why it hosted the 2005 symposium on combating
malaria in post-conflict Liberia, and wrote dozens of
letters to U.S. President George Bush, U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice, USAID officials, and a group of
U.S. senators, as well as to the offices of the UN Secretary
General, the UN General Assembly, Pope Benedict VIX, the
African Union president and other international leaders and
bodies to highlight the plight of Liberians with respect
to the malaria epidemic in Liberia. LIHEDE remains committed
to malaria free new Liberia because the Liberian people have
suffered for too long, died needlessly, and spent all their
hard earned dollars fighting malaria, which is a preventable
disease.
LIHEDE began its advocacy its
malaria advocacy in 2003 for malaria control and prevention
in Liberia when Liberia was not even in contention for
inclusion on the list of countries to benefit from PMI, and
now that Liberia has become a beneficiary nation for PMI, we
are encouraged to continue our advocacies for malaria
control and eradication in Liberia, even if we continued to
be accused of planning to spread the whole of Liberia with
DDT, having an ulterior motive, or using malaria as a
scapegoat for the political ambitions of the leaders of
LIHEDE. But whatsoever the rumors and speculations out
there, LIHEDE is determined to make good on its resolve to
work toward the eradication of malaria in Liberia, just as a
number of developed countries, including the United States,
have managed to eradicate malaria in their nations.
Dr. Mariah Seton
Founding member of LIHEDE
LIHEDE believes that the only way
the rest of the world would come to heed the calls of
LIHEDE, other Liberian organizations, or the Liberian
government to assist with malaria control, prevention, and
eradication efforts in Liberia is when they see that we as
Liberians are helping ourselves before telling them where we
are hurting the most and need help. LIHEDE therefore
believes that the US$37.5 from PMI is a great start, as
would the anticipated US$37from the Global Fund, in the
national effort at malaria treatment, control, and
prevention in Liberia . And LIHEDE is glad that the Ministry
of Health and Social Welfare has hosted its first National
Health Fair in Liberia , while the Ministry’s National
Malaria Control Strategies have been revamped to include
case management and multiple preventions using ITNS, IRS,
early treatment behavioral modification techniques, and
other needed malaria screening and drugs options. LIHEDE
welcomes all of these initiatives in the national effort to
combat malaria in Liberia .
LIHEDE pledges its support and
cooperation with the Liberian government through the
Ministries of Health and Social Welfare, Education, Youth
and Sports, Information, Culture, and Tourism, and Labor in
the national malaria eradication drive, especially given the
recent successful hosting by LIHEDE of its national culture-
driven malaria program in Grand Bassa and Bong counties
aimed at using sports and local Liberian cultural values to
educate the public about malaria. LIHEDE hopes that it will
continue to enjoy the cooperation of the Liberian government
in all of its endeavors in Liberia , as we cannot build the
new Liberia by keeping each other down, or ignoring each
other where proper recognition and respect are due. LIHEDE
believes that no single entity can defeat malaria in Liberia
, as malaria can only be defeated in Liberia through
collective efforts, mutual respect, commitment, cooperation,
and collaboration of all Liberians and friends of Liberia .
LIHEDE cannot eradicate malaria in Liberia by itself, and no
single Liberian community or organization can do it alone.
We must all cooperate and collaborate to prevent, control,
and dismantle malaria in Liberia arm in arm.
Mosquito
LIHEDE believes that as Liberia
begins to get outside funding for malaria control and
prevention efforts in Liberia, it will be very important for
the Liberian government to impress on the donors about its
national plan and national priority with regard to malaria
treatment and control, or the donors may export ready-made
malaria treatment and control options to Liberia that may
not suit the local environment in Liberia, although it is
clear that he who plays the pipe calls the tune.
Consequently, LIHEDE stands by its core principles and
objectives underlying LIHEDE’s “culture-driven” malaria
control program in Liberia , and entertains the hope that
the Liberian authorities will consider some of these
objectives when receiving or negotiating funding to combat
malaria in Liberia .
Liberian children
The core values and objectives
underlying LIHEDE’s “culture-driven” malaria control program
in the new Liberia include:
-
Undertaking malaria
education projects in Liberia that encompasses teaching
about malaria in Liberian schools.
-
Using radio scripts
in Liberian vernacular languages to educate and rally the
support of Liberians outside the city centers in the efforts
of combating malaria.
-
Establishing malaria
free zones across Liberia in the campaign for malaria
control, prevention, and eradication in Liberia .
-
Developing a national
malaria curriculum, drama, musical performances, talent
shows, interschool competition at all levels (with awards
and trophies) to promote malaria awareness in Liberian
schools
-
Providing updated
materials about malaria to schools, public libraries, which
includes books, films, videos, and documentaries to
Liberians regarding the control and prevention of malaria
throughout the new Liberia .
-
Hosting of annual
soccer tournaments to promote malaria awareness in the new
Liberia and to underscore the collective efforts needed to
educate the Liberian public and the African people about the
dangers of malaria.
-
Adopting a
Pan-African approach to malaria control and prevention,
which will involve the neighboring countries of Liberia as
part of our effort to have African countries working
together to combat malaria on the African continent.
-
Lobbying the Liberian
House of Representatives and Senate to enact a National
Malaria Abatement Bill, and
-
Enhance a Coherent
National Malaria Policy for the new Liberia .
LIHEDE remains appreciative of
current efforts at local and international levels for
malaria control, prevention, and eradication in the new
Liberia , and we work together to save the Liberian people
from the malaria epidemic in the new Liberia.
Nat Galarea
Gbessagee
Secretary General, LIHEDE
Approved:
Syrulwa Somah, PhD.
Executive Director, LIHEDE
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