MONROVIA – The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) on Monday, July 21, 2025, graduated the country’s first One Health Frontline Cohort of the Liberia Field Epidemiology Training Program (LFETP), marking a milestone in Liberia’s public health preparedness and response system. The ceremony took place in the main conference room of NPHIL headquarters in Congo Town, Monrovia.
Delivering the opening remarks, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, Director-General of NPHIL, commended the graduates for successfully completing the rigorous training. “We are here to celebrate the graduation and successful completion of this FETP course by these young, energetic, and smart epidemiology cadres who will now strengthen the country’s public health system,” he said. “This class is the first One Health cohort, which makes it historically significant. Through One Health, we look not only at human health but also at animal health, environmental health, and even plant health.”
Dr. Nyan expressed gratitude to Liberia’s international partners, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), WHO, AFENET, Africa CDC, and others for their support in developing a new generation of disease surveillance professionals. He also noted the importance of Liberia serving as a model for the integration of the One Health platform into field epidemiology training.
Providing an overview of the cohort, Leroy S. Maximore, Program Coordinator for LFETP, explained that the program was launched in 2015 with support from the U.S. CDC and WHO. While previous cohorts consisted mainly of health professionals, this 14th cohort reflects a multisectoral approach, with trainees drawn from various institutions including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry Development Authority, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Of the 15 residents enrolled, 13 successfully completed the program.
The graduating cohort includes Harriet Yei Kwaibiah of Bain-Garr District in Nimba County, who presented a report on rabies as a neglected tropical disease in Liberia. She highlighted the low incidence of human rabies in Liberia, but cautioned about the continued threat posed by unvaccinated animals. Joshua C. Ben from Montserrado County discussed challenges in feedback of test results for suspected animal diseases, citing logistical, financial, and communication barriers. Romel Fahnbulleh of the EPA delivered an expanded surveillance report, emphasizing environmental factors in public health surveillance.
In brief congratulatory remarks, representatives from WHO, AFENET, Africa CDC, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the U.S. CDC applauded the trainees for their dedication and called on them to apply their knowledge in strengthening local health systems.
Delivering the vote of thanks, graduating class president Harriet Y. Kwaibiah expressed gratitude to the program’s sponsors and mentors. “We want to promise you that after here, we will use this knowledge to improve the health system in our rural areas,” she said. “To my colleagues, thank you for the dedication. Though the journey was tough, we made it.”
Kwaibiah also presented a symbolic gift to the U.S. CDC as a gesture of appreciation for its continued investment in Liberia’s public health capacity. She commended the trainers and “makers” who stood by the cohort throughout the process.
The graduates include Harriet Yei Kwaibiah, Joshua C. Ben, Romel Fahnbulleh, Jacob Jarbo, Shirley K. Kialen, Awalaiah H. Tokpa, Helena A. Howard-Bridges, D. Melvin Duo, M. Goretti Johnson, Ocel N. Karmie, Oliver Z. Yealue, George B. Subah, and Lydia Y. Konah. These professionals will now return to their respective counties and institutions equipped with advanced skills in outbreak investigation, disease surveillance, and public health response.
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