Climate change is an alarming global challenge, particularly affecting the least developed countries (LDCs) including Liberia. These countries, located in regions prone to unpredictable temperature and precipitation c...Climate change is an alarming global challenge, particularly affecting the least developed countries (LDCs) including Liberia. These countries, located in regions prone to unpredictable temperature and precipitation changes, are facing significant challenges, particularly in climate-sensitive sectors such as mining and agriculture. LDCs need more resilience to adverse climate shocks but have limited capacity for adaptation compared to other developed and developing nations. This paper examines Liberia’s susceptibility to climate change as a least developed country, focusing on its exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. It provides an overview of LDCs and outlines the global distribution of carbon dioxide emissions. The paper also evaluates specific challenges that amplify Liberia’s vulnerability and constrain sustainable adaptation, providing insight into climate change’s existing and potential effects. The paper emphasizes the urgency of addressing climate impacts on Liberia and calls for concerted local and international efforts for effective and sustainable mitigation efforts. It provides recommendations for policy decisions and calls for further research on climate change mitigation and adaptation.展开更多
Background: Surgical sponges are used in almost all surgeries in Liberia and around the world. They sometimes may inadvertently be left in the body following a surgery and are then referred to as gossypibomas or texti...Background: Surgical sponges are used in almost all surgeries in Liberia and around the world. They sometimes may inadvertently be left in the body following a surgery and are then referred to as gossypibomas or textiloma. Their presence can result in significant morbidity and even mortality for the patient, and unpleasant medicolegal consequences for the surgeon. This case is the first to be reported from Liberia. Case Presentation: A 43-year-old para 3, alive 3 Liberian lady, presented in our emergency room in acute urinary retention. Plain kidney, ureter and bladder X-rays showed an amorphous calcified object within the urinary bladder. Abdominal ultrasound scan revealed 7 cm × 5 cm bladder stone. She underwent open cystolithotomy, and a partially calcified gauze swab was recovered from the bladder. The patient was discharged after a smooth post-operative period and follow-up cystoscopy showed no intravesical abnormality. Conclusion: Gossypiboma or textiloma is apparently very rare in Liberia, as there is no mention of its occurrence in academic literature from Liberia. The presence of any foreign body in the bladder can potentiate the formation of a calculus. Radiological findings are variable and non-specific, thus increasing the risk of a missed diagnosis. The morbidity associated with this condition and the possibility of medico-legal liability make prevention of this condition imperative.展开更多
This paper evaluates the livability and convenience of social housing in Liberia from the residents’ perspectives. Using residents’ appraisal from several social housing projects in the suburb of Monrovia, residents...This paper evaluates the livability and convenience of social housing in Liberia from the residents’ perspectives. Using residents’ appraisal from several social housing projects in the suburb of Monrovia, residents’ satisfaction index with regards to the aesthetic, durability and comfort of their homes were measured. It also assessed their overall living environment which includes access to road and basic service facilities such as hospitals, schools, shopping and recreational centers. How secured and comfortable do they feel within their homes? What are the driving factors that led them to acquire their homes? Data were collected from 662 household heads from three housing estates in the suburb of Monrovia using the stratified systematic sampling method and analyzed using IBM SPSS descriptive statistic. Results show that while occupants of public housing are satisfied with certain aspects of their homes, they are generally unsatisfied with their living environment. This investigation is detailed to inform architects, designers and policymakers’ decisions toward social housing in Liberia. It looks at the underlining challenges affecting the improvement of social housing from the end users’ perspective and how these challenges can be mitigated to meet consumers’ satisfaction and make them part of the design process and policymaking.展开更多
<strong>Background:</strong> The prevalence of transfusion associated hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection differs across different population geographically. Ascertaining the seroprevalence of HBV infection ...<strong>Background:</strong> The prevalence of transfusion associated hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection differs across different population geographically. Ascertaining the seroprevalence of HBV infection is vital to informing the way of precautionary and control strategies. This study sought to establish the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBVsAg) among blood donors in Yelewonyan Memorial Hospital Lofa, Liberia. <strong>Methods:</strong> This was a retrospective study which involved reviewing of blood donation records for the year 2020 at Telewonyan Memorial Hospital in Lofa County. The data obtained from the records were analyzed. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 12 for windows.<strong> Results: </strong>A total of 584 voluntary blood donors were screened for donation in 2020. Out of 584, 554 (95.9%) were males while the rest were females. Prevalence of 3.3% was observed among blood donors in Telewonyan Memorial Hospital. There is a significant difference between gender and age with HBV seropositivity among blood donors. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The findings of this study suggest that the study site is of low endemicity with HBV infection. Usually, males are more probably to be HBVsAg seropositive than their female’s counterpart. Planning more extensive study and educational programs would help minimize the spread of HBV infection among the general population.展开更多
The 2014-2015 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks which began in Guinea and later spread to Liberia, Sierra Leona and other countries have been responsible for a number of infections and deaths among the communities i...The 2014-2015 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks which began in Guinea and later spread to Liberia, Sierra Leona and other countries have been responsible for a number of infections and deaths among the communities including health workers. The natural host of the EVD virus has not been identified even when scientific evidence points to bats as the natural reservoirs to similar strains of EVD virus. EVD male survivors have also been identified as a potential source of infection among the populations. Some of the reasons attributed to this rapid spread of EVD to other countries have been weak early warning systems to identify and notify health authorities of such diseases of high epidemic potential. Liberia has been one of the countries to be declared EVD free on two different occasions in 2015 each with a different epicenter. Despite a number of international organizations coming together to support control efforts in Liberia, the coordination of response activities by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and replicated at all levels of the surveillance systems was the key in suppressing the outbreak. Adoption of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) guidelines as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO/AFRO) was a positive step towards the structuring of response activities. Capacity building of health workers in infection control and prevention and surveillance was important to improve skills of health workers to triage EVD cases as recommended by WHO. Training community health volunteers in contact tracing and active case search was important in strengthening the Early Warning Disease surveillance system. Decentralization of response activities in addition to establishing Ebola Treatment units and Community Care Centers in all counties was vital in containing the spread of infection. Even when EVD was associated to high levels of stigma, community and individual counseling sessions led by community leaders enabled building community trust to refer cases for treatment. The EVD survivors distributed in different parts of the country are potential sources of new EVD infections. This will require strengthening early warning systems and response capacity at all levels.展开更多
The small-scale fishing sector in Liberia is essential for food security,liveli-hoods,and cultural legacy,however,it is becoming increasingly susceptible to the effects of climate change.This research examines the sig...The small-scale fishing sector in Liberia is essential for food security,liveli-hoods,and cultural legacy,however,it is becoming increasingly susceptible to the effects of climate change.This research examines the significance of Local Ecological Knowledge(LEK)in the adaptive strategies of small-scale fishing communities in West Point,Marshall,and the St.Paul River fishing zone.This research used the Theory of Planned Behavior framework to analyze the atti-tudes,subjective norms,and perceived behavioral control affecting fishers’adoption of climate adaptation techniques.Data were collected through cross-sectional research comprising 384 respondents and analyzed via qualitative and quantitative methodologies.The findings indicate that 58%of participants were male,whilst 42%were female,with 39%of both sexes lacking formal schooling.Climate change awareness correlates positively with educational at-tainment;74%of individuals lacking formal education are aware of climate change,but 100%of those possessing higher education are aware.Local knowledge is essential for adaptation methods,with 48%of respondents im-plementing coping mechanisms such as relocating to new fishing zones,ex-panding fishing equipment,and pursuing alternative livelihoods like agricul-ture and small-scale enterprises.The research emphasizes the implementation of various coping methods,such as alternative livelihoods and community-ori-ented adaptation initiatives.Although local knowledge is acknowledged,opin-ions regarding its efficacy in comprehensively safeguarding small-scale fisher-ies from climate change are varied.The study advocates for the amalgama-tion of indigenous knowledge with empirical research,the enhancement of education and awareness,and the promotion of varied coping methods to foster resilience within small-scale fishing.These findings offer significant insights for policymakers and stakeholders in formulating comprehensive adaptation strategies to tackle the distinct problems encountered by small-scale fisheries.展开更多
China’s commitment to modernising Liberia’s health care facilities brings benefits.When 32-year-old Martha Kollie arrived at the newly established China-aid National Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Laboratory in th...China’s commitment to modernising Liberia’s health care facilities brings benefits.When 32-year-old Martha Kollie arrived at the newly established China-aid National Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Laboratory in the Liberian capital of Monrovia,she was unsure if she would receive the medical care she desperately needed.展开更多
Background:Health care workers are at the frontline in the fight against infectious disease,and as a result are at a high risk of infection.During the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa,many health care workers c...Background:Health care workers are at the frontline in the fight against infectious disease,and as a result are at a high risk of infection.During the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa,many health care workers contracted Ebola,some fatally.However,no members of the Chinese Anti-Ebola medical team,deployed to provide vital medical care in Liberia were infected.This study aims to understand how this zero infection rate was achieved.Methods:Data was collected through 15 in-depth interviews with participants from the People’s Liberation Army of China medical team which operated the Chinese Ebola Treatment Center from October 2014 to January 2015 in Liberia.Data were analysed using systematic framework analysis.Results:This study found numerous bio-psycho-socio-behavioural risk factors that directly or indirectly threatened the health of the medical team working in the Chinese Ebola Treatment Center.These factors included social and emotional stress caused by:(1)the disruption of family and social networks;(2)adapting to a different culture;(3)and anxiety over social and political unrest in Liberia.Exposure to Ebola from patients and local co-workers,and the incorrect use of personal protective equipment due to fatigue was another major risk factor.Other risk factors identified were:(1)shortage of supplies;(2)lack of trained health personnel;(3)exposure to contaminated food and water;(4)and long working hours.Comprehensive efforts were taken throughout the mission to mitigate these factors.Every measure was taken to prevent the medical team’s exposure to the Ebola virus,and to provide the medical team with safe,comfortable working and living environments.There were many challenges in maintaining the health safety of the team,such as the limited capability of the emergency command system(the standardized approach to the command,control,and coordination of an emergency response),and the lack of comprehensive international protocols for dealing with emerging infectious disease pandemics.Conclusions:The comprehensive and multidisciplinary measures employed to protect the health of the medical team proved successful even in Liberia’s resource-limited setting.The global health community can learn valuable lessons from this experience which could improve the safety of health care workers in future emergencies.These lessons include:establishing capable command systems;implementing effective coordination mechanisms;providing adequate equipment;providing training for medical teams;investing in the development of global health professionals;and improving research on ways to protect health care workers.展开更多
This Dear Diary entry,in the year's last issue of Women of China,is written by Judy Cheung,a British woman of Chinese descent.Cheung,a business executive who lives and works in China,writes about her humanitarian ...This Dear Diary entry,in the year's last issue of Women of China,is written by Judy Cheung,a British woman of Chinese descent.Cheung,a business executive who lives and works in China,writes about her humanitarian experiences in Liberia,and she offers her insights into the effects of war.展开更多
文摘Climate change is an alarming global challenge, particularly affecting the least developed countries (LDCs) including Liberia. These countries, located in regions prone to unpredictable temperature and precipitation changes, are facing significant challenges, particularly in climate-sensitive sectors such as mining and agriculture. LDCs need more resilience to adverse climate shocks but have limited capacity for adaptation compared to other developed and developing nations. This paper examines Liberia’s susceptibility to climate change as a least developed country, focusing on its exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. It provides an overview of LDCs and outlines the global distribution of carbon dioxide emissions. The paper also evaluates specific challenges that amplify Liberia’s vulnerability and constrain sustainable adaptation, providing insight into climate change’s existing and potential effects. The paper emphasizes the urgency of addressing climate impacts on Liberia and calls for concerted local and international efforts for effective and sustainable mitigation efforts. It provides recommendations for policy decisions and calls for further research on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
文摘Background: Surgical sponges are used in almost all surgeries in Liberia and around the world. They sometimes may inadvertently be left in the body following a surgery and are then referred to as gossypibomas or textiloma. Their presence can result in significant morbidity and even mortality for the patient, and unpleasant medicolegal consequences for the surgeon. This case is the first to be reported from Liberia. Case Presentation: A 43-year-old para 3, alive 3 Liberian lady, presented in our emergency room in acute urinary retention. Plain kidney, ureter and bladder X-rays showed an amorphous calcified object within the urinary bladder. Abdominal ultrasound scan revealed 7 cm × 5 cm bladder stone. She underwent open cystolithotomy, and a partially calcified gauze swab was recovered from the bladder. The patient was discharged after a smooth post-operative period and follow-up cystoscopy showed no intravesical abnormality. Conclusion: Gossypiboma or textiloma is apparently very rare in Liberia, as there is no mention of its occurrence in academic literature from Liberia. The presence of any foreign body in the bladder can potentiate the formation of a calculus. Radiological findings are variable and non-specific, thus increasing the risk of a missed diagnosis. The morbidity associated with this condition and the possibility of medico-legal liability make prevention of this condition imperative.
文摘This paper evaluates the livability and convenience of social housing in Liberia from the residents’ perspectives. Using residents’ appraisal from several social housing projects in the suburb of Monrovia, residents’ satisfaction index with regards to the aesthetic, durability and comfort of their homes were measured. It also assessed their overall living environment which includes access to road and basic service facilities such as hospitals, schools, shopping and recreational centers. How secured and comfortable do they feel within their homes? What are the driving factors that led them to acquire their homes? Data were collected from 662 household heads from three housing estates in the suburb of Monrovia using the stratified systematic sampling method and analyzed using IBM SPSS descriptive statistic. Results show that while occupants of public housing are satisfied with certain aspects of their homes, they are generally unsatisfied with their living environment. This investigation is detailed to inform architects, designers and policymakers’ decisions toward social housing in Liberia. It looks at the underlining challenges affecting the improvement of social housing from the end users’ perspective and how these challenges can be mitigated to meet consumers’ satisfaction and make them part of the design process and policymaking.
文摘<strong>Background:</strong> The prevalence of transfusion associated hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection differs across different population geographically. Ascertaining the seroprevalence of HBV infection is vital to informing the way of precautionary and control strategies. This study sought to establish the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBVsAg) among blood donors in Yelewonyan Memorial Hospital Lofa, Liberia. <strong>Methods:</strong> This was a retrospective study which involved reviewing of blood donation records for the year 2020 at Telewonyan Memorial Hospital in Lofa County. The data obtained from the records were analyzed. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 12 for windows.<strong> Results: </strong>A total of 584 voluntary blood donors were screened for donation in 2020. Out of 584, 554 (95.9%) were males while the rest were females. Prevalence of 3.3% was observed among blood donors in Telewonyan Memorial Hospital. There is a significant difference between gender and age with HBV seropositivity among blood donors. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The findings of this study suggest that the study site is of low endemicity with HBV infection. Usually, males are more probably to be HBVsAg seropositive than their female’s counterpart. Planning more extensive study and educational programs would help minimize the spread of HBV infection among the general population.
文摘The 2014-2015 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks which began in Guinea and later spread to Liberia, Sierra Leona and other countries have been responsible for a number of infections and deaths among the communities including health workers. The natural host of the EVD virus has not been identified even when scientific evidence points to bats as the natural reservoirs to similar strains of EVD virus. EVD male survivors have also been identified as a potential source of infection among the populations. Some of the reasons attributed to this rapid spread of EVD to other countries have been weak early warning systems to identify and notify health authorities of such diseases of high epidemic potential. Liberia has been one of the countries to be declared EVD free on two different occasions in 2015 each with a different epicenter. Despite a number of international organizations coming together to support control efforts in Liberia, the coordination of response activities by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and replicated at all levels of the surveillance systems was the key in suppressing the outbreak. Adoption of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) guidelines as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO/AFRO) was a positive step towards the structuring of response activities. Capacity building of health workers in infection control and prevention and surveillance was important to improve skills of health workers to triage EVD cases as recommended by WHO. Training community health volunteers in contact tracing and active case search was important in strengthening the Early Warning Disease surveillance system. Decentralization of response activities in addition to establishing Ebola Treatment units and Community Care Centers in all counties was vital in containing the spread of infection. Even when EVD was associated to high levels of stigma, community and individual counseling sessions led by community leaders enabled building community trust to refer cases for treatment. The EVD survivors distributed in different parts of the country are potential sources of new EVD infections. This will require strengthening early warning systems and response capacity at all levels.
基金the University of Liberia and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity in Agriculture(RUFORUM) for funding the research and the National Fisheries and Aquiculture Authority for approving the field work.
文摘The small-scale fishing sector in Liberia is essential for food security,liveli-hoods,and cultural legacy,however,it is becoming increasingly susceptible to the effects of climate change.This research examines the significance of Local Ecological Knowledge(LEK)in the adaptive strategies of small-scale fishing communities in West Point,Marshall,and the St.Paul River fishing zone.This research used the Theory of Planned Behavior framework to analyze the atti-tudes,subjective norms,and perceived behavioral control affecting fishers’adoption of climate adaptation techniques.Data were collected through cross-sectional research comprising 384 respondents and analyzed via qualitative and quantitative methodologies.The findings indicate that 58%of participants were male,whilst 42%were female,with 39%of both sexes lacking formal schooling.Climate change awareness correlates positively with educational at-tainment;74%of individuals lacking formal education are aware of climate change,but 100%of those possessing higher education are aware.Local knowledge is essential for adaptation methods,with 48%of respondents im-plementing coping mechanisms such as relocating to new fishing zones,ex-panding fishing equipment,and pursuing alternative livelihoods like agricul-ture and small-scale enterprises.The research emphasizes the implementation of various coping methods,such as alternative livelihoods and community-ori-ented adaptation initiatives.Although local knowledge is acknowledged,opin-ions regarding its efficacy in comprehensively safeguarding small-scale fisher-ies from climate change are varied.The study advocates for the amalgama-tion of indigenous knowledge with empirical research,the enhancement of education and awareness,and the promotion of varied coping methods to foster resilience within small-scale fishing.These findings offer significant insights for policymakers and stakeholders in formulating comprehensive adaptation strategies to tackle the distinct problems encountered by small-scale fisheries.
文摘China’s commitment to modernising Liberia’s health care facilities brings benefits.When 32-year-old Martha Kollie arrived at the newly established China-aid National Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Laboratory in the Liberian capital of Monrovia,she was unsure if she would receive the medical care she desperately needed.
基金This study was funded by the Seed Funding,Army Medical University(Third Military Medical University),China(2016XYY04)Project from PLA(AWS17J014)The funders had no role in study design,data collection and analysis,decision to publish,or preparation of the manuscript.
文摘Background:Health care workers are at the frontline in the fight against infectious disease,and as a result are at a high risk of infection.During the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa,many health care workers contracted Ebola,some fatally.However,no members of the Chinese Anti-Ebola medical team,deployed to provide vital medical care in Liberia were infected.This study aims to understand how this zero infection rate was achieved.Methods:Data was collected through 15 in-depth interviews with participants from the People’s Liberation Army of China medical team which operated the Chinese Ebola Treatment Center from October 2014 to January 2015 in Liberia.Data were analysed using systematic framework analysis.Results:This study found numerous bio-psycho-socio-behavioural risk factors that directly or indirectly threatened the health of the medical team working in the Chinese Ebola Treatment Center.These factors included social and emotional stress caused by:(1)the disruption of family and social networks;(2)adapting to a different culture;(3)and anxiety over social and political unrest in Liberia.Exposure to Ebola from patients and local co-workers,and the incorrect use of personal protective equipment due to fatigue was another major risk factor.Other risk factors identified were:(1)shortage of supplies;(2)lack of trained health personnel;(3)exposure to contaminated food and water;(4)and long working hours.Comprehensive efforts were taken throughout the mission to mitigate these factors.Every measure was taken to prevent the medical team’s exposure to the Ebola virus,and to provide the medical team with safe,comfortable working and living environments.There were many challenges in maintaining the health safety of the team,such as the limited capability of the emergency command system(the standardized approach to the command,control,and coordination of an emergency response),and the lack of comprehensive international protocols for dealing with emerging infectious disease pandemics.Conclusions:The comprehensive and multidisciplinary measures employed to protect the health of the medical team proved successful even in Liberia’s resource-limited setting.The global health community can learn valuable lessons from this experience which could improve the safety of health care workers in future emergencies.These lessons include:establishing capable command systems;implementing effective coordination mechanisms;providing adequate equipment;providing training for medical teams;investing in the development of global health professionals;and improving research on ways to protect health care workers.
文摘This Dear Diary entry,in the year's last issue of Women of China,is written by Judy Cheung,a British woman of Chinese descent.Cheung,a business executive who lives and works in China,writes about her humanitarian experiences in Liberia,and she offers her insights into the effects of war.
