Partners In Health Liberia

From Despair To Hope: How Community Mental Health Care Is Changing Maryland

Mental health care should not begin when someone finally reaches a hospital. It should begin where people live. For years, stigma, isolation, limited services, and institutional approaches have kept too many people from receiving the support they need. Maryland County is showing another path. Partners In Health Liberia (PIHL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia, and the Maryland County Health Team, is helping to expand community-based mental health and substance use services.

Since 2017, the work has included: Community outreach, peer support groups, treatment pathways, workforce development, community education, policy engagement, and support for people in recovery.

The impact is visible. Follow-up care increased by 42.9%, reaching 22,481 beneficiaries. And people are not simply waiting for care. As PIH Mental Health Program Coordinator Willis Archie Yansine explains, patients are increasingly taking advantage of ongoing community outreach rather than waiting to walk into health facilities.

That is what happens when health care meets people where they are. This , let’s strengthen the partnerships that make community-based care possible. Because a stronger health system does more than treat disease. It can become an antidote to despair—and a pathway to hope, dignity, and Universal Health Coverage in Liberia.

Lived Experience Must Lead Mental Health Care

Real voices. Real experiences. Real change. This , Liberia has an opportunity to move beyond simply listening to people with lived experiences of mental health conditions.

We must listen and act. People with lived experience should not only be invited to tell their stories. They should have a seat at the table where policies are shaped, services are designed, and decisions are made. Their voices can help build mental health services that are more person-centered, rights-based, compassionate, and responsive.

In Maryland County, Partners In Health Liberia (PIHL), the Ministry of Health, and the Maryland County Health Team have been partnering since 2014 to strengthen Liberia’s health system and bring the benefits of modern medical science to those who need them most. Since 2017, this partnership has helped transform mental health and substance use care through community outreach, peer support, treatment pathways, workforce development, and policy engagement.

The results matter. Follow-up care increased by 42.9%, reaching 22,481 beneficiaries. But behind every number is a person.
A person who deserves to be heard.
A person who deserves dignity.
A person who deserves care close to home.
This World Mental Health Day, let’s move from listening to action—and build mental health systems with people with lived experience, not merely for them.

Partners In Health Liberia: From Ebola Response to Building a Healthier Liberia

Twelve years ago, Partners In Health Liberia (PIHL) arrived in Liberia during one of the country’s darkest health emergencies. The mission was never just to respond to Ebola. It was to stay. In September 2014, the Government of Liberia formally invited Partners In Health to join the international Ebola response. By October, PIH was on the ground.

Working alongside the Ministry of Health, local health authorities, and communities, PIH supported emergency containment and prevention efforts across six heavily affected counties: Montserrado, B**g, Rivercess, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, and Maryland. But when Ebola ended, the partnership did not.

The emergency response became a long-term commitment to health system strengthening. For 12 years—and counting—PIHL has accompanied the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Health to strengthen a more resilient and equitable health system, capable of delivering quality care when and where people need it most.

Because the goal is bigger than surviving the next crisis. It is about making the benefits of modern medical science accessible to the people who need them most. It is about investing in people, systems, infrastructure, and institutions that make quality health care possible. It is about building a health system that can withstand the next challenge—not simply recover from the last one.

And in Maryland County, this commitment is being demonstrated through efforts to show what it can take to move Liberia closer to Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Twelve years later, the work continues. Congratulations to Partners In Health Liberia on 12 years of partnership, service, and commitment to the people of Liberia. From responding to Ebola to strengthening the health system. From crisis response to long-term partnership. From recovery to building for the future.

The journey continues. Because health is a human right—and no one should be left behind.

The Real Test Is What Happens When the Next Crisis Comes

What should Liberia’s health system look like by 2030? It should be resilient, equitable, sustainable, and innovative. But the real test will not be how many facilities are built or how many projects are implemented. The real test will be whether Liberia can withstand future shocks without losing years of progress.

Dr. Maxo Luma captured the challenge during his keynote at the 10th Annual General Scientific Meeting (AGSM) of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons: “When the next unpredictable storm arrives, our health system will not simply recover.”

It must stand firm, adapt, innovate, and continue serving every Liberian. That requires investment before crises occur—not after. It requires stronger institutions. It requires primary health care. It requires digital transformation. It requires attention to the social determinants of health. It requires innovation that improves—not replaces—the work of people. And above all, it requires national ownership. One that is designed, led, and sustained by Liberians.
This is the journey: from recovery → to resilience → to sustainability.

The vision is a health system that protects people during emergencies, serves communities every day, continuously learns and improves, and remains strong despite changing circumstances. That is the challenge of Liberia 2030, and that is the opportunity: to build the system today that Liberia will depend on tomorrow.

Staff, Stuff, Space, Systems, and Social Support: The Five Pillars Behind A Stronger Health System

What does it actually take to build a health system that can withstand the next crisis?

According to Dr. Maxo Luma, Executive Director of Partners In Health Liberia, resilience does not come from a single investment. It comes from strengthening the system as a whole.

At the 10th Annual General Scientific Meeting (AGSM) of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons (LCPS), he highlighted the PIH 5-Ss Framework:
1. Staff—The health professionals who deliver care.
2. Stuff—The medicines, supplies, equipment, and resources needed to provide that care.
3. Space—The physical infrastructure where health care happens.
4. Systems—Leadership, governance, information, financing, planning, and accountability.
5. Social Support—Addressing the realities outside the clinic that shape health outcomes.

Dr. Luma emphasized, "Resilience is not built through any single investment. It emerges when all five pillars are strengthened together.” That means health cannot be reduced to hospitals and clinics: transportation, food security, income, education, and community engagement matter. The places where people live, work, learn, and raise their families all influence health outcomes.

And innovation has a role to play—not simply by introducing new technology, but by finding better ways to solve persistent problems, improve access, strengthen accountability, and bring expertise closer to underserved communities. A resilient health system is not built one project at a time. It is built by strengthening the whole ecosystem around the patient.

The Future Must Be Liberian-Led: Liberia’s Health System Must Be Built by Liberians

A health system cannot be sustainable if the knowledge, leadership, expertise, and capacity required to run it remain outside the country. That is why one message from Dr. Maxo Luma’s keynote at the 10th Annual General Scientific Meeting (AGSM) of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons (LCPS) deserves attention: “The future of Liberia’s health system must be designed, led, and sustained by Liberians.”

National ownership is not about working alone. International partnerships can accelerate progress. But sustainability means ensuring that Liberia continues to build the people and institutions capable of carrying the system forward long after individual projects and funding cycles end.

This is why investment in people matters. Partners In Health Liberia continues working with national and international academic institutions on social service training, supportive clinical mentorship, nursing education, and graduate medical education.
The Family Medicine Residency Program at James Jenkins Dossen Hospital is helping train specialist physicians. Partnerships with William V. S.Tubman University are helping ensure that the “pipeline never runs dry.”

Through collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia, and the Maryland County Health Team, Maryland County is being modeled on the broader goal of Universal Health Coverage in Liberia.

The message is simple: Build facilities, strengthen systems, invest in technology, but above all, invest in people (Liberians). The strongest health system is one with the people, institutions, and leadership to sustain itself.

Liberia’s Health System Must Move From Recovery to Resilience

Liberia has rebuilt after war, Ebola, and COVID-19. But according to Dr. Maxo Luma, Executive Director of Partners In Health Liberia, recovery alone is not enough.

Speaking at the 10th Annual General Scientific Meeting (AGSM) of the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons (LCPS), Dr. Luma distinguished recovery and resilience: “Recovery is getting back up after a fall. Resilience is remaining strong when the next challenge arrives.”

The need for resilience became especially clear during the 2014 Ebola crisis. When Partners In Health arrived in Liberia, approximately 45 doctors were serving a population of roughly 4.5 million people. Ebola was the immediate crisis, but the outbreak also exposed deeper weaknesses in Liberia’s health system.

Dr. Luma emphasized that strengthening the health system must therefore go beyond rebuilding what has been lost. It must address the underlying conditions that make crises more devastating. Partners In Health’s approach focuses on five interconnected pillars: Staff, Stuff, Space, Systems, and Social Support.

The objective is not simply to survive the next emergency. It is to build a health system capable of absorbing shocks, adapting, learning, innovating, and continuing to serve people when they need care most. For Liberia, the next chapter must be about more than recovery. It must be about readiness.

Towards Universal Health Coverage: A Call to Action

The partnership between Partners In Health Liberia (PIHL) and the Ministry of Health represents an unwavering commitment to building a resilient and inclusive health system in Liberia. This collaboration aims to ensure that modern medical care reaches all individuals, particularly the most disadvantaged, regardless of their geographic location.

Operating in Maryland County and the four Southeast counties—Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, River Gee, and Sinoe—this partnership enhances essential health services that save lives every day. Key initiatives include expanding laboratory capabilities, strengthening biomedical services, and improving oxygen delivery systems. These efforts address critical gaps in care and empower local health facilities to provide dignified, comprehensive treatment.

By fostering strong partnerships and prioritizing equity, PIHL and the Ministry of Health are transforming health care access into a shared source of hope and well-being. Their work embodies the principle that quality health care is a human right, not a privilege. Together, PIHL and the Ministry of Health strive to leave no one behind in the journey toward universal health coverage.

As Liberia continues to strengthen its health system, this ongoing partnership serves as a beacon, demonstrating how dedication, collaboration, and an unwavering focus on the underserved can drive meaningful progress.

Join us in ensuring that quality and dignified health care for all is not just an ambition but an urgent necessity that calls for collective commitment and sustained effort.

Stronger Together: A Call for Partnership in Health!

Since 2014, Partners In Health Liberia (PIHL) and the Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia, have been on a journey to strengthen Liberia's health system.

By uniting our efforts, we aim to model Maryland County in achieving Universal Health Coverage, ensuring that essential medical services reach those who need them most.

But we can’t stop here! From Maryland to Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, River Gee, and Sinoe Counties, our commitment enhances critical services like laboratory expertise and oxygen delivery. Together, we can be a source of hope. Join us in making health care a human right!

From Struggle to Strength: The Journey of Peer Support in Liberia

"I want to make a difference and bring positive change to my family," declares Peter J. Wallace, a testament to the impact of peer support on substance recovery.

With the PIHL community, he found a haven to understand the challenges of addiction. The 30-session curriculum, a blend of mindfulness and emotional regulation, empowers participants like Wallace to thrive.

As PIHL extends these efforts to Sierra Leone, adapting the curriculum for their unique landscape, the vision of community-led recovery spreads like wildfire. Change begins with each of us—let’s support one another!