eNEWSLETTER
UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA, COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES | MAY 2023, VOL. 5
A Mixed Method Research Study on Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights Commodities in Three Regions of Liberia.
The University of Liberia, school of Public Health in collaboration with Local Liberian CSOs conducts a 5 month Long mixed method research study in 3 regions of Liberia.
The Research Project is focused on access to sexual reproductive health rights commodities in 3 select regions in Liberia; The project aims to provide evidence about access to SRH commodities, while considering the person requesting the commodity, the type of commodity being requested, and the site of the request. The accessibility of commodities will involve their availability, their cost, the distance to a location where they are available, and the attitudes of people gate-keeping the access.
The objective of the project is to investigate community-level access among youth subgroups to affordable, proximal, and equitably distributed sexual and reproductive health (SRH) commodities in Liberia
MPH students are currently supporting the data collection team in the fields. They are entering responses from scenarios of mystery clients (data) in kobocollect to be uploaded to the server. They are also responsible to do the transcription of key informant interviews they have conducted in the field as well. Their involvement is massive
The Overview of University of Liberia School of Nursing and Midwifery
In 2015, the Ministry of Health (MOH) developed the Investment Plan for Building a Resilient Health System 2015-2021, which prioritized development of a fit-for-purpose, motivated, and highly-skilled health workforce.
Thus, the current baccalaureate program proposal was developed with USAID support to rebuild the health sciences of UL from 2011-2015. Outcomes of this funding included graduate education for TNIMA faculty in nursing education, development of an RN/RM to BSc curriculum and development of five new specialty practice upper division courses.
This partnership was based on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which ended in 2017 with the graduation of the pilot class. Thereafter, UL has continued the program from 2018 up to 2020 as efforts to meet with JFK in revisiting the MOU for the merger of TNIMA with UL proved futile thus, leaving the university with the option to do a stand-alone program.
The School of Nursing and midwifery under the College of Health Sciences is an educational institution of excellence upgrading and specializing in the training of mid-level health workers, striving to operate by the highest standards of accredited scholarship and professionalism, dedicated to promoting evidence-based practice, community outreach, and scientific inquiry through research to enhance national development.
Owing to shortage of physicians, routine healthcare in Liberia is supplied largely by skilled nurses, midwives, physician’s assistants, and public health officials—especially outside of urban areas. The vision for the University of Liberia College of Health Sciences includes formalizing a school to upgrade and specialized the training of mid-level health workers.
Working with existing training institutions, the school was established to offer direct-entry 4-year BSc pathways for nursing, midwifery, and physician’s assistants while conducting a bridging program pathway for those nurses and midwives who already have diploma-level training (3-year diploma + 2-year liberal arts).
Samuel Bowman ELAB holds 3days of Simulation Training for ULCHS Clinical Faculty
The Samuel Bowman Experiential Learning and Assessment Laboratory (ELAB) recently conducted an intensive three-day simulation training session for clinical faculty of the University of Liberia College of Health Sciences (ULCHS) at JFK Hospital from March 21-23, 2023. The training was led by Dr. Michelle Niescierenko, a distinguished healthcare practitioner from Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, and a diverse group of healthcare professionals attended.
The primary objective of the training was to enhance the clinical skills of healthcare practitioners in a realistic environment, better equipping them to handle real-life scenarios more effectively. The program included scenario writing and debriefing techniques to provide participants with a comprehensive learning experience. As part of the training, healthcare practitioners were allowed to conduct a 10-minute scenario session, giving them hands-on experience of how scenarios work in practice.
BRIDGE-U: Liberia's Senior Coordinator for ELAB expressed enthusiasm for the training, stating, "We are excited to see how the newly acquired knowledge and skills will enhance the quality of healthcare services in Liberia."
The ELAB is committed to providing innovative and practical training solutions to healthcare practitioners to help improve healthcare delivery in Liberia. With its state-of-the-art facilities and experienced trainers, the ELAB is dedicated to advancing healthcare education and training in the country.
Liberia Launches Guidelines for Continuing Professional Development for Healthcare Professionals, Effective April 10, 2023
The College of Health Sciences, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Ministry of Health, and six regulatory boards, including the Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC), the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery (LBNM), the Liberia Pharmacy Board (LPB), the Liberia National Physician Assistant Board (LINPAB), the Liberia Environmental Health Board (LPHB), and the Board of Accreditation and Licensure of Medical Laboratory Technologists (BALMLT), has launched the Guidelines for Continuing Professional Development for Healthcare Professionals (CPD) on Monday, April 10, 2023, at the ULCHS Auditorium, with support from the USAID-funded project Bridge-U: Liberia.The launch event followed a one-day validation meeting on the CPD Guidelines held at the Corina Hotel, attended by representatives from the Ministry of Health, WHO, USAID, JFK, ULCHS, and BRIDGE-U: Liberia, as well as the six health professions' regulatory boards.
The Ministry of Health emphasized the importance of obtaining and maintaining a practice license and encouraged the boards and associations to educate their members on this matter. "This is for us. Let's own it and do our best to validate it today. Moving forward, we are going to validate all of the training efforts, and this will help improve services for our people," said Bobby G. Logan, the Ministry of Health Assistant Minister of Curative Service and Acting Deputy Minister and Chief Medical Officer.
At the opening of the official launch program, representatives from Liberia's six health professions regulatory boards expressed their gratitude for being part of the development and highlighted how it would improve their capacity building and help boost their clarity on the CPD implementation. "We consider this as a big deal. We assure everyone that these guidelines will be implemented for good health services," said Dr. Benetta Collins Andrews, Liberia Medical and Dental Council Chairperson. The World Health Organization (WHO) gave its commitment and support to improve health in Liberia. "I want us to fully utilize this guideline with the goal of improving the healthcare of Liberia. We can collaborate, and we can develop proposals. WHO remains committed to working with the health Ministry to ensure that the impact will be protecting healthcare in Liberia," said Moses B. Bolongei, Health System Officer, WHO.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is crucial for maintaining and updating professional competence, ensuring the public interest is always promoted and protected, and providing the best possible service to the community. The Guidelines for Continuing Professional Development for Healthcare Professionals (CPD) launched in Liberia aim to support the lifelong learning of healthcare professionals in the country by improving clinical practice, management, education, research, regulatory or policymaking, and patient care.
Dr. Francis Kateh, Chief Medical Officer of Liberia, officially launched the guidelines, emphasizing that "This is not just a document that has been crafted to be placed on a shelf. It needs breadth. So we all have to play a pivotal role. So on behalf of my boss Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, we want to launch this CPD in the Republic of Liberia."
Through its BRIDGE-U program, the College of Health Sciences is strengthening CPD for professional healthcare workers in Liberia by building the capacities of the six health professions' regulatory boards to establish or strengthen CPD systems. The national guidelines will form the foundation of those systems.
New Paper Alert
School of Pharmacy facilitated the hosting of the Liberia Chapter of the West African Postgraduate College of pharmacists on 35th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Symposium and 65th Council Meeting.
The Liberia Chapter of the West African Postgraduate College of the Pharmacists (WAPCP) through the School of Pharmacy hosted the 35th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Symposium (AGM&SS) and the 65th Council Meeting of WAPCP at the Golden Key Hotel, Paynesville City, Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia, March 20 to 24, 2023 under the theme: “Substance Abuse: A Threat to the future Workforce”. The meeting was hosted in collaboration with the pharmaceutical Association of Liberia (PAL), an association of all practicing pharmacists in Liberia.
The WAPCP is an Anglophone West African Pharmaceutical Body covering Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. The regional pharmaceutical body holds annual rotational meetings within the member states. These annual meetings bring together diverse pharmaceutical stakeholders covering pharmaceutical scientists, drug regulators, Chief Pharmacists of member states, heads of pharmaceutical academic institutions, heads of pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, etc. The delegates to these meetings discuss several pertinent pharmaceutical issues covering drug regulation and registration, drug laws, pharmaceutical trade, and quality of pharmaceuticals in the commerce of the West African Region, etc. As per the rotation schedule of the member states, this year 2023, was the time for Liberia to host the regional pharmaceutical body.
The Liberia Chapter has an educational arm called the Monrovia Study Center of the WAPCP headed by Professor Hasipha C. Tarpeh as its Coordinator. Currently, the Monrovia Study Center Fellowship Program has a total of thirteen (13) candidates in all. Out of the thirteen candidates, five (5) were qualified to graduate during the 2023 AGM Convocation that was held March 21, 2023, at the Paynesville Town Hall. The Liberian candidates that graduated comprised practicing pharmacists of diverse personalities inclusive of the following:
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One parliamentarian, Honorable Joseph Nyan Somwarbi, who serves in a very important position in the Liberian Legislature/Parliament as the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health.
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Two drug regulators: Dr. Menmon P. Z. Dunah, Registrar/CEO of the Pharmacy Board of Liberia and Professor J. Nathaniel B. Woart, Deputy Registrar/ CEO of the Pharmacy Bord of Liberia.
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One drug quality control expert, Dr. Archibald O. Kromah, Head of Research of the Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) and
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One hospital based clinical pharmacist, Dr. Forkay Colnoe. Head Pharmacist at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center, one of the referral hospitals in Liberia.
As per protocol, during the WAPCP Annual General Meetings, the host country invites sister colleges to deliver Good Will Messages during the official opening ceremonies. Hence, the sister colleges that were invited to deliver their Good Will Messages were West African College of Physicians (WACP), West African College of Surgeons (WACS), West African College of Nursing and Midwifery (WACN&W) and the newest sister college, the West African College of Laboratory Sciences. These sister colleges sent their representatives that delivered their respective messages in line with the theme of the 2023 AGM&SS: “Substance Abuse: A Threat to the Future Workforce”.
To add academic flavor to this year’s conference and as a new innovation, the Liberia Chapter invited heads of tertiary academic institutions to give their Good Will Messages to the august body of diverse conference delegates. The heads of tertiary institutions that graced the occasion of the official opening ceremonies of the conference and delivered Good Will Messages were the following:
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University of Liberia represented by Rev. Dr. Professor Julius Julukon Sarwolo Nelson, Jr.
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United Methodist University represented by Professor Rev, Dr. Alvin E, Attah
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African Methodist University represented by Professor Yah Donlah Gonway Gono
Moreover, the Liberia Chapter invited some members and or heads of religious institutions to grace to the occasion. Those heads of religious institutions that were present were the following:
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Bishop Steven Y. Binda of United Pentecostal Church (UPC)
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Rev. Henry Sayway of the Faith Healing Victory Church of Jesus Christ
The keynote address was eloquently delivered by Professor Hasipha C. Tarpeh, Coordinator of the Monrovia Study Center WAPCP, Deputy Chairman, Joint Faculty Board of the WAPCP, and Chairman of the Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University.
Professor Tarpeh, delivering the keynote address on the major theme of the 2023 AGM: “Substance Abuse: A Threat to the Future Workforce”, carefully and eloquently highlighted the global, continental, and regional situations on substance abuse emphasizing the negative impact on the future generation of youth that constitutes the future workforce hence. Professor Tarpeh advanced several recommendations cardinal among which is the collective and sustained effort of all stakeholders to mount educational programs aimed at rehabilitating all the youthful population across the member states of the WAPCP.
Prepared By: Rev. Dr. Tijli Taty Tyee, Sr., FPCPharm., MSc., PharmD., RPh., BPharm., BSc., B-Cert. Ed., Dip. Theo.
Liberia Chapter Chair, WAPCP.