Liberia: NPHIL Says No Ebola in Liberia

What the report says

Liberia’s National Public Health Institute (NPHIL) told lawmakers that no Ebola outbreak has been recorded in the country, while asking public institutions to strengthen basic prevention steps such as handwashing stations. The update came as reports circulated about an Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, prompting Liberian health officials to stress readiness rather than panic.

According to the Liberian Observer report distributed by AllAfrica, NPHIL Interim Director-General Dr. Sia Wata Camanor said the agency has already begun early preparedness work. She said those efforts, carried out with the Ministry of Health, include improving disease surveillance, training surveillance officers, distributing personal protective equipment, and setting up an isolation unit. She also said the World Health Organization had recognized Liberia’s preparedness measures.

Camanor urged government offices and other public facilities to place handwashing stations at entrances and to reinforce routine hygiene as a way to limit the spread of infectious diseases, including Ebola and conjunctivitis. She also requested more logistical and financial support from lawmakers for items such as PPE, thermometers, and other equipment needed for surveillance and emergency response.

The appeal carries added weight in Liberia because of the severe 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, which exposed major gaps in public-health systems. NPHIL was created later to help the country better anticipate, detect, and respond to future outbreaks.