The Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched a National Urogenital Schistosomiasis (UGS) Strategy Plan (2026–2030), positioning Liberia among countries globally to develop and roll out a standalone national framework dedicated to combating the neglected but debilitating disease.
The strategy was unveiled on Friday, 27 February 2026, at the ministry in Congo Town. It is designed to address a condition that disproportionately affects women and girls but also places men and boys at risk in endemic communities.
Officially launching the plan, Dr Louise M. Kpoto, the Minister of Health, described the moment as both professionally and personally significant.
“The launch of this strategy plan is both professional and personally meaningful to me,” she said. “As someone with a PhD in tropical medicine with emphasis on schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, this is truly a dream come true.”
Dr. Kpoto disclosed that three colposcopes have already been procured to strengthen diagnosis and treatment of UGS, with the equipment being deployed at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Redemption Hospital and C.B. Dunbar Maternity Hospital.
“Now that we have the knowledge and we are bringing in colposcopes, we will go down to the counties to conduct trainings on their use and improve diagnosis of these diseases,” she added, thanking partners, particularly Effect Hope, for sustained support.
Providing an overview of the strategy, Anthony Bettee, Acting Director of the NTD Unit, said “UGS contributes to reproductive health complications, infertility and increased vulnerability to HIV and HPV,” he said.
Bettee: “This plan ensures that appropriate measures are taken to leverage existing resources and improve awareness, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. It is an opportunity to address a significant but invisible burden and strengthen women’s health outcomes in Liberia through sustainable, system-wide action.”
The launch brought together officials from various units within the Ministry of Health, alongside representatives of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, the National WASH Commission and international partners including Effect Hope, Sightsavers, WaterAid and Save the Children. Students and civil society actors were also in attendance, underscoring what officials called a “whole-of-society approach” to tackling the disease.
Developed through the Ministry’s Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Programme, the five-year strategy follows in-depth research conducted in Bong and Nimba counties. The studies focused on detecting and managing female genital schistosomiasis and confirmed that untreated infections have long-term consequences for women, men, girls and boys living in endemic areas.