Liberia's president meets with Northwest Medical Teams staff
Barbara Agnew
Website: http://www.nwmedicalteams.org
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Liberia's first woman president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, warmly thanked Northwest Medical Teams and the United States yesterday at a celebratory launch of the relief agency's $1.25 million child survival grant in the country.
The four year Child Survival and Health grant, focused on reducing devastating illness and death in children under five in Liberia, was awarded to Northwest Medical Teams by the United States Agency for International Development.
The multi-agency presentation by President Johnson-Sirleaf drew the U.S. Ambassador to Liberia as well as representatives from Liberia's Ministry of Health, Grand Cape Mount County and the USAID. More than 500 people attended the event.
"Madame Johnson-Sirleaf expressed tremendous gratitude for our investment in the children of Liberia," stated Anna Cilliers, Northwest Medical Teams country director. "As the only international agency with a four-year commitment to health care and training in Grand Cape Mount County, Northwest Medical Teams is glad to be here now to help the people of Liberia rebuild their country and their lives."
As part of the grant award, Northwest Medical Teams will also provide nearly $450,000 in direct costs and $710,000 in medicines and supplies for Liberia to help restock medical facilities that were looted and damaged during 14 years of civil war.
Grant funds will train local healthcare workers, many who have not received any education in 15 years. By training 150 healthcare workers and 250 traditional birth attendants, the grant will impact nearly 140,000 people living in the Grand Cape Mount County region of Liberia. These community health workers will directly educate families and support mothers in adopting beneficial health practices.
Training will focus on nutrition education (breastfeeding and maternal nutrition), pneumonia case management, immunizations, control of diarrheal disease, and malaria prevention and treatment.
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