By: Keith Morrison| Staff Writer and Analyst
Liberian President and Chairman of the National AIDS Commission Board of Directors, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to restoring hope for people living with HIV.
Speaking at the Executive Mansion when he convened the Commission’s first board meeting, President Boakai expressed explicit confidence in the Commission’s officials for the level of work since taking over. The President, however, expressed his support to the administration of the National AIDS Commission, emphasizing the need to remove bottlenecks impeding its functions.
The National AIDS Commission Board Chairman used the gathering to iterate his government’s unwavering support to the Commission and alluded to the need to empower the oversight body responsible for steering the affairs of People living with HIV.
President Boakai stressed the need for more empowerment to the Commission to effectively carry out its work.
“It has been a year now since we have not had a meeting, but we met partially with the team, and we want to let you know that we take seriously the workings of the NAC and will do all we can to remove these bottlenecks,” President Boakai added.
In the wake of the United States Government’s withdrawal of support, President Boakai committed the government to the work of the Commission by providing the needed and timely support to fight HIV and AIDS.
For her part, the Chairperson of the National AIDS Commission, Dr. Cecelia J. Nuta, mentioned key progress in the Country’s HIV response amidst challenges. In her overview, Dr. Nuta appealed to the Government of Liberia to provide the necessary support to the Commission in order to address the impacts of HIV if Liberia must meet the 2030 target in ending AIDS.
In her presentation to the Board, Dr. Nuta named the development of an Additional Safeguard Policy Exit Roadmap (ASP), which was presented to the Global Fund in December of 2024, and seeks to regain the confidence of the Global Fund. She then lauded key stakeholders who participated in the formulation of the document. She named the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the Ministry of Health (MOH), Liberia Coordinating Mechanism (LCM), Plan International, and the Catholic Relief Services as some of the stakeholders that worked with the Commission in developing the document.
The NAC Chairperson expressed hope in the document, which has the propensity of restoring Liberia’s credibility and renewed hope for those living with HIV in the country.
She also disclosed the introduction of HIV services for Uniformed Service Personnel across Liberia. As per the Inter-Bio Behavior Surveillance Study (IBBSS) done in 2018, the HIV prevalence among uniformed service personnel was 17.6% triggering the need for intervention.
Talking about the progress made in 2024, Dr. Nuta highlighted the road leading to 2030 in ending AIDS with the development of an HIV Sustainability Roadmap for Liberia, which intends to take a holistic approach by involving all state actors, stakeholders and relevant authorities. However, she lauded the efforts of UNAIDS for support over the years.
During the deliberation, Dr. Nuta also presented a two-year work plan valued at more than seven hundred thousand United States Dollars.
Reflecting on the important need for a robust and holistic approach with the Presidents’ support for the Commission, the Board established sub-committees charged with the role of leading the process of making the Commission more visible by scouting resources.
The initial committee constituted is Mobilization, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Partnership, Hon. Pency Kyne. Others include the Chambers of Commerce, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Liberia Marketing Association, and the Labor Congress.
Those serving on the Communication and Advocacy Committee are the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the National Teachers Association of Liberia (NTAL), and the Nursing Board Association, among others.
Edited: Jesefu Morris Keita | Editor-In- Chief
