MONROVIA – Health Minister Dr. Louise Kpoto is calling for increased domestic financing for Liberia’s health sector, including the placement of more than 3,000 volunteer health workers on the government payroll, as the Ministry of Health seeks additional resources to sustain essential services across the country.
By: Trokon S. Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
Speaking during discussions on the health sector’s budget, Minister Kpoto said adequate funding is critical to maintaining essential medicines, retaining and developing health workers, strengthening maternal and newborn care, and ensuring that hospitals have the resources needed to respond to patients’ needs.
The minister warned that progress in healthcare delivery would be difficult to sustain without sufficient domestic financing, emphasizing the need for increased government support to keep health facilities functional and improve service delivery.
According to Dr. Kpoto, execution of the Ministry of Health’s 2026 budget stood at 66.4 percent as of September 30, while approximately 91 percent of targeted children had been vaccinated.
She said the ministry is proposing an increase in employee compensation in the 2027 budget year to strengthen the health workforce.
A major component of the ministry’s proposal is the inclusion of more than 3,000 volunteer health workers on the government payroll.
Dr. Kpoto said the volunteers are already contributing to healthcare delivery but require formal support to strengthen the country’s human resources for health.
The figures presented by the minister show that Montserrado County has the highest number of verified volunteers, with 889.
Other counties include Lofa with 253, Maryland with 233, Grand Gedeh with 202, Bopolu with 165, Grand Kru with 154, Sinoe with 150, Grand Bassa with 146, Margibi with 134, Rivercess with 121, River Gee with 121, Bong with 115, and Grand Cape Mount with 106.
The ministry is also seeking resources to support different categories of health personnel, including administrative support staff, nurses, nursing aides, community health workers, vaccinators, dispensers and laboratory aides.
The proposed increase in employee compensation and the planned absorption of volunteers into the government workforce are expected to require additional budgetary commitments.
The ministry’s request therefore places renewed attention on the government’s ability to finance healthcare priorities while ensuring that funding translates into improved services for ordinary Liberians.
With maternal and newborn health, access to essential medicines and workforce shortages remaining central concerns for the sector, the 2027 budget process will be significant in determining whether the ministry’s proposals receive the financial backing needed to sustain and expand healthcare delivery nationwide.
