The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) was established in 2017 by an act of the Liberian Legislature, following lessons learned from the devastating Ebola outbreak that affected Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.
Recognizing the need for a resilient health sector, stakeholders and partners pushed for the creation of an institution dedicated to preventing and controlling diseases and other health threats.
Under its first two leaders, NPHIL made efforts to fulfill its mandate, implementing key programs and responding to outbreaks.
However, the institution faced significant setbacks under the immediate past Director-General, largely attributed to inadequate budgetary support from the Liberian government and international partners.
On August 19, 2024, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, a renowned Liberian scientist and public health specialist, was appointed as Director-General. Over the past five months, NPHIL has been making notable progress under his leadership.
The National Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee—an essential platform for coordinating disease prevention and outbreak responses—has been rejuvenated and is now actively engaged.
Dr. Nyan has also initiated a rebranding process aimed at enhancing accountability, transparency, and efficiency.
As part of these reforms, new policies have been introduced to strengthen institutional governance.
Additionally, in a move to enforce discipline and restore integrity, several employees were dismissed and suspended in connection with the unauthorized disposal and sale of 11 government-owned vehicles.
With these ongoing efforts, NPHIL appears to be regaining stability and reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding public health in Liberia.
On January 17, 2025, the institute inducted 18 young Liberians as Research, Laboratory, and Diagnostic Scientists at the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) in Paynesville.
This initiative aims to enhance Liberia’s laboratory and research diagnostic capacities, reduce result-reporting times, and strengthen outbreak preparedness and response efforts.
The newly inducted scientists, who hold Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees, come from diverse medical science backgrounds both within Liberia and internationally.
Their induction brings the total number of technical personnel at the NRL to 20, bolstering the laboratory’s ability to respond swiftly to public health emergencies.
The institute has been designated a Center of Excellence (CoE) under the Africa CDC Regional NPHI Capacity Strengthening Initiative.
This recognition, conferred by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), underscores Liberia’s leadership in advancing public health systems on the continent.
In a formal communication to Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, Director General of NPHIL, Africa CDC highlighted the institute’s technical expertise, leadership, and commitment to strengthening public health in Africa as key factors in its selection.
As a Center of Excellence, NPHIL will serve as a regional hub for peer-to-peer technical assistance, training, and mentorship.
It will also support Member States in developing or strengthening core NPHI functions, including disease surveillance, outbreak response, public health research, and workforce development.
A fortnight ago, the Africa CDC donated a consignment of equipment valued at over $275,000 to enhance the institute’s Public Health Emergency Operation Center capabilities.
Additionally, the National Reference Laboratory in Charleville, Margibi County, is undergoing a significant upgrade, reinforcing its role as the backbone of Liberia’s public health infrastructure.
Notably, Liberia now has the capability for genomic sequencing, a milestone made possible through recent technical discussions between Dr. Nyan and the World Health Organization (WHO) Liberia office.
The Integrated Disease Surveillance Response Data Harmonization exercise across the country has successfully concluded with a commitment to ensuring quality and authentic data.
This initiative aims to enhance the expertise of subnational surveillance officers in maintaining data accuracy and reliability.
The harmonized dataset will support future infectious disease research and planning efforts.
On January 8, 2025, Liberia took a significant step toward improving public health as the Director-General of NPHIL, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, and the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Emmanuel Urey-Yarkpawolo, signed the National Public Health Lead Paint Regulation.
This crucial regulation aims to eliminate lead-based paint from the Liberian market, ensuring better environmental and public health standards.
Dr. Nyan continues to represent Liberia at regional and international forums, fostering collaborations that strengthen the country’s public health initiatives.
Some of these engagements have already yielded tangible benefits, while others promise to further enhance NPHIL’s capacity and Liberia’s overall public health infrastructure.
These strategic initiatives and partnerships mark significant progress in Liberia’s efforts to improve public health preparedness, surveillance, and response, reinforcing its position as a leader in public health across the region..
