Monrovia, Liberia — The Government of Liberia, with technical and financial support from World Health Organization (WHO), completed the 2025 State Party Annual Self-Assessment Reporting (SPAR) as required by the International Health Regulations (IHR) between 12-14 November 2025. The initiative underscores Liberia’s continued commitment to strengthening national and global health security through systematic evaluation and improvement of public health capacities.

The IHR (2005), revised in 2024, is the binding global legal framework guiding 196 countries to develop the capacities necessary to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats that may cross borders. Under Article 54, countries must report annually to the World Health Assembly on progress in implementing IHR core capacities.

The opening ceremony brought together senior representatives from the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), the Ministry of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture, and other One Health partners. Technical experts, partners, academia, and civil society also participated, demonstrating Liberia’s whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to IHR implementation. A total of 60 multisectoral technical experts attended and participated in the 15 IHR core capacities self-assessment across 35 indicators.

In her opening remarks, the Acting Director General of NPHIL, Dr. Sia Wata Camanor, expressed her appreciation to WHO and its technical experts for their continuous technical and operational support to NPHIL. She reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to implementing the IHR (2005) by strengthening the country’s core capacities to prevent, detect, and respond effectively to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Speaking at the launch, WHO IHR–PVS One Health Technical Officer, Mr. Kwuakuan D. M Yealue, commended Liberia’s resilience in managing recent health emergencies, including COVID-19, mpox and other emerging threats. He emphasized WHO’s commitment to supporting the country in fulfilling its obligations under the IHR 2005.

“The SPAR self-assessment process offers Liberia a unique opportunity to reflect honestly on our progress, identify the gaps that matter most, and commit as a nation to strengthening the systems that protect our people,” he stated. Liberia continues to strengthen its IHR implementation through a robust One Health platform that integrates human, animal, and environmental health. WHO will support the Government of Liberia through orientation sessions, multisectoral coordination, validation of findings, and development of a prioritized, costed action plan aligned with the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).