Achieving Global Health Security Through Strengthening Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Management Platforms in Liberia - Jhpiego, a nonprofit affiliate of the Johns Hopkins University, along with its partners, Africa One Health University Network (AFROHUN)/University of Liberia (UL), Public Health Initiative Liberia (PHIL), and the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Center for Global Emergency Care (CGEC), is pleased to offer the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an application for Achieving Global Health Security through Strengthening Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Management Platforms in Liberia. Despite achievements in strengthening public health emergency (PHE) preparedness, key challenges remain to strengthen Liberia’s longer-term resilience and sustainability to potential threats. The project’s purpose is to expand national-to-subnational coordination in Liberia to detect outbreaks, manage responses early and ensure a multidisciplinary emergency management workforce, in compliance with the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005). We will collaborate with multisectoral stakeholders to strengthen Liberia’s long-term capacity to strengthen core global health security (GHS) priorities (Component 1) and support efforts to “hit the ground running” to respond to small-scale (Component 2) and large-scale (Component 3) PHEs. Our approach will strengthen the existing Ministry of Health (MOH)/National Public Health Institute of Liberia and Ministry of Agriculture-led One Health (OH) platform at national and subnational levels to integrate and operationalize OH and water, sanitation and hygiene principles into national and subnational OH committees and technical working groups, rapid response teams (RRTs) and Emergency Operations Centers. Drawing on our organizational expertise in workforce development, we will strengthen capacities and capabilities of the Liberia OH workforce, including multidisciplinary emergency management specialists and RRTs. Our capacity-building framework employs a blended learning approach that combines training with structured, post-training, virtual coaching and mentorship via mobile social learning (moderated WhatsApp communities of practice) to build a skilled and culturally responsive public health workforce. To achieve project outcomes, our consortium offers high-caliber, existing, Liberia-based staff; technical expertise in the core components of GHS, health systems strengthening and service delivery; trusted relationships with the Government of Liberia (across ministries) at all system levels; and a successful track record of strengthening GHS resilience in Liberia. Jhpiego has a results-oriented track record for implementing GHS awards, including the global CDC-funded Enhancing Global Health Security award (2020–2025, $44.2 million) in 23 countries, which provides technical assistance to MOHs and other stakeholders to strengthen national laboratory networks, surveillance and outbreak response. AFROHUN/UL is contributing to improving the IHR (2005) core capacities in zoonotic diseases, risk communication and community engagement, workforce development, surveillance and emergency preparedness and response in Liberia. PHIL is a local, community-focused public health organization in Liberia, with many trusted relationships as the co-convener of the Liberia Health CSOs (Civil Society Organizations) Network and member of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, Africa Health Budget Advocacy Network, and Liberia Fiscal Transparency Working Group. CGEC brings together academic faculty from across the JHU School of Medicine and School of Public Health and is globally recognized for providing expertise in the development of emergency care response.
