By Lincoln G. Peters
Congo Town, Liberia: The government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Local Government with funding from the French Development Agency (AFD) and technical support from Expertise France has officially launched the leadership, management, governance and decentralization (LMGD) strategy framework, aimed at strengthening health system governance, decentralization and accountability across all administrative level.
The LMGD framework comprises four foundational documents developed through an inclusive, Liberia-led process and it includes the LMGD Policy, Implementation policy, Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) and Operational Guidelines, together, they provide a unified outline for strengthening the health governance from national level to the frontline. These documents, fully aligned with National Health Policy (2022-2031), the National Health Sector Support Plan (2022-2026), the National Decentralization Policy, the Universal Health Coverage Roadmap and the Commitment to the 2025 National Health Summit to reduce Maternal and neonatal mortality.
The four historical post-war health policy framework documents launched Monday, March 2, 2026 at the Ministry of Health I Congo Town by Liberia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Louis Mapleh Kpoto, was witnessed and graced by France Ambassador to Liberia, H.E Isabella Le Guellec, Sotty Eliot, AFD Country Representative, Bijay Bharati, EF Project Manager and county health officers, local officials, especially superintendents among others.
The program was officially launched under the theme: ‘’ strengthening health governance for better health outcomes’’. The vision of the initiative is to decentralize health system with strong regulatory oversight, effective leaders and managers who drive reforms for a healthy population to attain equitable growth and sustainable development. Furthermore, the policy seeks to transform Liberia health system governance, leadership and management at all level, thereby making the sector effective, efficient and equitable for achieving universal health coverage and health security.
Officially launching the four policy documents, Dr. Louis M. Kpoto, Liberia’s Minister of Health expressed appreciation to the France government for the support, while alluding that the documents is not a policy framework but a national commitment and reform agenda, which indicates that governance can improved when actually executed.
‘’ I sincerely want to express our thanks and appreciation to the Republic of France for your continuous support toward the Liberia health sector. To the AFD and Expertise France, thank you very much. I have interacted with both the AFD and EF on numerous occasions. What I like about EF Project Manager he visits my officer at any time and make recommendations, which was very good because sometime if you come to formal, you don’t have things implemented. So, I just want for all of us to give the Republic of Franc a thunderous hand of applaud. Now, I like to formally launched Liberia first post-war four policy documents which will strengthen our health sector and delivery across the country. Now, these documents are hereby launched’’. She concluded.
For part, France Ambassador to Liberia, H.E Isabella Le Guellec, described the LMGD policy as a milestone in the partnership between France and Liberia, aligned with France Global Health strategy, which prioritizes strengthening health system and achieving universal health coverage. She assured the gathering that the launched of the LMGD policy, is not the conclusion of a project, but the beginning of a nationwide implementation across all fifteen counties.
Outlining France government contribution to Liberia health sector, Amb. Guellec disclosed that through the BEHOL and Health projects, France is investing €8 million to improve leadership, coordination and initial training of midwives and health managers.
‘’ Through Expertise France, and its flagship mechanism L’ Initiative, France provides high-level technical assistance to support optimization of the Global Fund Grants and strengthen financial governance at the Ministry level. France remains a leading global contributor to the Global Fund and GAVI, which are center in sustaining Liberia’s responses to pandemics and reinforcing routine health services. This reflects Liberia commitment to build a sovereign, accountable and decentralized health system. France is proud to stand alongside Liberia in this long-term effort to place every Liberia at the center of healthcare’ ’she concluded.
Mr. Bijay Bharati, Expertise France (EF) Project Manager pointed out that the framework is a result of the ten months participatory work, guided by Liberian ownership, which conducted assessment across twenty-five health facilities, six districts, three hospitals, and three county health teams by MOH technical team and Expertise France and the conclusion of a multi-stakeholders engagement.
‘’ on behalf of Expertise France, is an honor to stand before you today at this significant event dissimilation of Liberia leadership, management, governance and decentralizing policy and associated documents. Expertise France has been a proud technical partner to the Ministry of Health, to the governance and decentralization unite over the past two years. Our collaboration has been rooted in our shared understanding that technical skills lone are not enough. A health system is only as strong as it leaders, managers and governance structure that is hold accountable’’ he concluded.
For his part, Sotty Eliot, France Development Agency (AFD) Country Representative, commended the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Local Government for their hard work and commitment in developing a new structural framework and Expertise France for their guidance throughout the process.
‘’it’s indeed an opportunity to contribute to this milestone achievement in strengthening the resilience of Liberia health system. The France Development has been active in the health sector since 2020, with the first grant of three million euro to address the national COVID-19 response in partnership with Action Against Hunger as the implementing Partner. Also, new agreement was signed with the Government of Liberia to bring eight million grants for these few programs.’’ He concluded.
