-With Major Push for Healthcare Reform
MONROVIA – The Liberia Chapter of the West African College of Physicians (WACP) will hold its 10th Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGSM) on July 17, 2026, at the Sinkor Palace Hotel in Monrovia. The conference coincides with the College’s Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years of advancing postgraduate medical education and specialist training across West Africa.
The regional anniversary is being held under the theme, “WACP @ 50: Celebrating a Legacy and Envisioning the Future”. Also, the Liberian Chapter has adopted the national sub-theme: “Envisioning the Future of Specialist Care in Liberia: Resilience, Equity and Sustainability.” The conference will serve as a major platform to advance specialist medical education, strengthen the healthcare system, promote locally generated scientific research, and foster collaboration among health institutions.
Physicians and healthcare leaders will reflect on past lessons, identify emerging health priorities, and develop practical strategies to improve specialist services nationwide. Participants will deliberate on expanding postgraduate training, improving ethical clinical practice, promoting evidence-based care, enhancing disease surveillance, and reducing costly overseas referrals by building stronger local specialist capacity.
“The Golden Jubilee is more than a celebration of our past achievements—it is a call to shape the future of specialist healthcare in Liberia and across West Africa,” said Dr. Musu J. Duworko, Vice President of WACP and Chairperson of the Liberia Chapter. “This meeting comes at a defining moment for our college and for Liberia. We are called to translate specialist knowledge, ethical leadership and regional solidarity into better care for every Liberian. Our responsibility is to ensure that quality specialist healthcare becomes more accessible, equitable and sustainable for present and future generations.”
The scientific program will feature 13 research abstracts submitted by the College’s faculty, highlighting new findings and practical solutions to pressing clinical and public health challenges. Discussions will span Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Community Health, Family Medicine, Psychiatry and Laboratory Medicine. The sessions aim to encourage physicians to turn frontline clinical experiences into research that informs national health policy.
Assistant Professor Philip Z. Ireland, National Secretary of the WACP Liberia Chapter, stressed the importance of local research. “The scientific program provides Liberian physicians with an important platform to present local evidence, challenge routine practice and translate research into policies that improve patient care,” he said. “The true success of this meeting will not be measured by presentations alone, but by the lasting impact those discussions have on training, service delivery and health outcomes across Liberia.”
The Liberia Chapter has achieved significant progress over the past year. The John F. Kennedy Medical Center secured five-year full accreditation for its General Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency training programs—a major boost for specialist medical education. The Chapter also concluded its Golden Jubilee community outreach at D. Tweh Memorial High School in New Kru Town, where 174 residents received free health education and medical screenings.
Beyond scientific sessions, delegates will attend the Chapter’s statutory Annual General Meeting, receive institutional reports, elect new officers, and discuss Liberia’s preparations to host the regional WACP AGSM in 2027. That event will bring physicians and health experts from across West Africa to Monrovia.
The Chapter expects this year’s meeting to produce a scientific communiqué with practical recommendations for policymakers, strengthen collaboration among training institutions, encourage publication of Liberian medical research, reinforce ethical standards, and provide a roadmap for continuing professional development.
Dr. Charles Oguni, Honorary Treasurer of the Liberia Chapter, described the meeting as a critical investment. “Beyond the event itself, this meeting represents an investment in continuing professional development, stronger institutions, scientific productivity and accountable leadership,” he said. “We encourage government institutions, development partners and the broader health community to support this collective effort as Liberia prepares to host the regional WACP meeting in 2027.”
The Liberia Chapter of the West African College of Physicians (WACP) 10th Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGSM) arrives at a pivotal moment for Liberia’s health sector as it struggles to deliver specialized care to more than five million people across 15 counties. Liberia’s specialist-to-population ratio remains among the lowest in the region, despite the College’s five decades of service.
