By Lincoln G. Peters
Monrovia, March 17, 2026: Over the weekend, the bodies of twin infants believed to be between seven and eight months of gestation were discovered dead at a dump site in Logan Town’s Babylon Community, District #15, Montserrado County.
The incident has left women and children in shock, intensifying calls for the swift passage of Liberia’s revised Public Health Bill.
The deceased twins were found with their umbilical cords still attached and their bodies covered in vernix caseosa white, waxy substance that protects an unborn baby’s skin.
Vernix caseosa is a thick, creamy substance that coats a newborn’s skin, acting as a natural protective barrier in the womb and during birth. The umbilical cord is a temporary structure connecting a fetus to the placenta, providing vital nutrients and oxygen during pregnancy.
Nearby were a bloody sanitary pad and other materials believed to have been used during the abortion. Based on the circumstances and disposal method, the abortion is suspected to have been self-induced rather than performed by a trained clinician.
The bodies were discovered by children playing football at the Ranger Sports Field in Logan Town, whose ball landed on the dumpsite. After making the grim discovery, community members alerted the Logan Town Police Depot. Investigators responded to the scene, collected information, and began an examination.
In an exclusive interview with the New Dawn newspaper, teenager Morris Ballah recounted the discovery: “We were playing on the field. One of our friends kicked the ball onto the dump-site. When we went to retrieve it, we saw the children and got scared. We called for help, and soon everyone gathered. They weren’t breathing, and the scene was very disturbing. We didn’t see anyone disposing of them.”
Hawa Kamara, another community resident, condemned the act as “completely evil and wicked,” emphasizing that the pregnancy was near term. Kamara speculated that the perpetrator may have used pills or other substances to induce abortion, leading to the premature delivery of the twins with their umbilical cords and vernix caseosa still intact.
“I’m a woman, and I know what I’m saying—those children died because of an intentional abortion,” Kamara stated. “Just look at them, they were between seven and eight months. Look at the blood and sanitary pad. This is terrible. I can’t imagine what would drive someone to do this.”
Joanna S. Tamba, a grassroots sexual and reproductive health advocate, said the case underscores the urgent need for legal reform. She argued that the restrictive nature of Liberia’s abortion laws and social stigma contribute to unsafe abortions and preventable deaths.
“This tragedy should be a wake-up call for the government to pass the revised Public Health Bill,” Tamba said. “This legislation will address unsafe abortion and ensure that contraceptives are available, affordable, and accessible. Without these services, people are forced into dangerous, self-induced abortions. We see the fate of these twins, but what about the girl who performed this act?”
The revised Public Health Bill of Liberia seeks to modernize and consolidate existing health laws into a unified framework. It aims to strengthen disease surveillance, improve emergency preparedness, enhance maternal and infant care, and ensure equitable access to quality health services, addressing critical gaps exposed by emergencies such as Ebola and COVID-19. The bill also addresses sexual and reproductive health by providing comprehensive care, particularly for women and people of reproductive age.
