By Emmanuel Koffa
The Grand Kru County Health Team (CHT), in collaboration with partners on Wednesday November 12, 2025, concluded a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) exercise in the county.
The MDA exercise is aimed at preventing Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) and Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis or Big Foot sickness) across the county.
The dialogue brought together a cross-section of stakeholders, including representatives from the Christian Community, civil society organizations, the media, women’s groups (including the Rural Women’s Representatives), and officials from the ministries of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Education, and traditional leaders representing chiefs and the traditional council.
Shortly after the meeting, Paul Waylee, the Regional Supervisor at the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), Liberia, and head of the technical team, lauded the collective efforts of stakeholders during the MDA campaign.
The MDA marks another milestone in the ongoing efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
Waylee urged line ministries, agencies, and health workers to continue serving as ambassadors for public health, as the Ministry of Health (MoH) prepares for the upcoming Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis vaccination campaigns.
He added: “We all have a shared responsibility to protect the next generation. The vaccines are free, safe, and beneficial to the health of our children and communities. Let’s carry this message to every household.”
Waylee said, authorities at the MoH, in partnership with WH, UNICEF, and Gavi, are to launch a major nationwide HPV “catch-up” vaccination campaign targeting girls aged nine to 18 years.
The campaign will run from November 17 to 21, 2025, to strengthen immunity, and prevent cervical cancer among adolescent girls.
He said while the official launch of the campaign is scheduled for Monday, November 17, the Ministry has already embarked on a series of advocacy engagements with local leaders, schools, and at health facilities to raise awareness ahead of the exercise.
“Our teams have been dispatched to some of the hard-to-reach catchment communities to carry the message that the HPV and related vaccines are “completely free and essential for protecting our girls.”
Waylee said the vaccination teams will be deployed across all 25 health facilities in the county, covering major districts, schools, markets, and other public spaces.
The five-day campaign, he noted, will utilize both fixed and temporary outreach sites to ensure that no eligible child is left out.
“Our goal is to reach every girl between the ages of nine and 18. We’re focusing on schools and community gathering points to maximize coverage, especially in hard-to-reach areas.”