Vice President Hon. Jeremiah Kpan Koung has commended the launch of the second edition of the Liberia One Health Coordination Platform Governance Manual as a significant achievement for the nation. This essential document, designed to enhance health across human, animal, and environmental sectors, was officially presented to the Vice President, who chairs the One Health Steering Committee, at his capitol Building Office. Vice President Koung received the manual and forwarded it to the One Health Technical Committee for implementation. He reaffirmed the government’s strong commitment to the One Health approach and urged all stakeholders, including government partners, civil society, and local communities, to embrace and execute the principles outlined in the manual. The Vice President's remarks, delivered by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Prince Menkalo Gbieu, underscored the importance of sustained collaboration and shared responsibility in building a healthier, more secure, and prosperous Liberia for present and future generations. He highlighted the manual as both a governance tool and a symbol of collective resolve to protect health across human, animal, plant, and environmental interfaces in Liberia. Dr. Julius S.M. Gilayeneh, Sr., Deputy Director General for Technical Services at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia and Chair of the One Health Technical Committee, noted that the second edition was meticulously developed by experts from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Environment Protection Agency, Forestry Development Authority, and the Ministry of National Defense. “Supporting national and international partners include Africa CDC, FAO, WHO, the World Bank, and US-CDC” he said. The event was attended by several high-profile individuals, including Bakary Sonko, Senior Country Representative Africa-CDC; Atty. Ansu V.S. Dulleh, Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency; and Alpha Tamba, Emergency Preparedness and Response Officer, WHO-Liberia, among others. The second edition of the Liberia One Health Coordination Platform Governance Manual provides guidance on the platform's operations, objectives, and its role in building partnerships, attaining IHR core capacity, PVS pathway, and adhering to national and international policies.
