1. Annual Workshop of National Leprosy Control Program Managers and Partners June 27 – 29, 2011 Dakar, Senegal

2.  Country profile  Liberia Health system  National Leprosy and TB Control Program  Analysis of indicators  Current National Status  Challenges  Conclusion

3.  Liberia is situated on the West Coast of Africa bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast  It has a population of 3,476,608 million people  Has a land space of 43,000 square miles  GDP per capita is 222  Annual GDP growth rate is 4.6%  There are 15 political sub divisions called counties.

4.  The Liberia health system is currently being reformed through a ten year National Health Plan ( 2011 – 2021).  A package of essential health services is being developed to improve the provision and quality of health services.  The country’s health indicators are still unsatisfactory with infant mortality at 79.9 per 1000 live births; under five mortality at 110 per 1000 live births; and maternal mortality at 994 per 100,000 live births.  There currently exist a joint program for tuberculosis and leprosy, however in the new ten year plan leprosy is being integrated under the NTD program.

5.  The program is gradually expanding both leprosy and TB services to all health facilities in the country both public and private  There is presently MDT coverage in 23( 16.7%) of the 137 districts in Liberia, with 24( 4.5%) health facilities provide MDT of the 522 health facilities.  The NLTCP still has a challenge with capacity to diagnose and report leprosy cases as is reflected in the low coverage.  :

6.  The prevalence rate remained stable in 2008 and 2009 with a decrease in 2010.  The case detection is steadily increasing as interventions are being scaled up in the high risk areas.  There proportion of MB cases reported is higher than PB cases  There is ongoing transmission in the population.  The proportion of females and children has remained steady in the three years.

12. INDICATOR# of CASESPROPORTION Prevalence4951.42 Case detection48213.9 New cases MB3570.74 New cases children840.17 New cases with disability 00 New cases females1780.37

13.  Lack of capacity of staff to diagnose leprosy  Poor reporting and recording of leprosy data  Inadequate funding for leprosy.

14.  Liberia has committed herself to revise the leprosy situation in the country.  An integrated NTD strategic plan has been developed covering five years.  Included the plan is an active case finding strategy; introduction of the community based project; increased capacity building for staff at the health facility and a prevalence survey.  Leprosy indicators have also been included into the integrated HMIS system for improved reporting and recording.