Liberia

Despite recent progress, Liberia’s socio-economic situation remains fragile. Several years of economic recession followed the Ebola and Covid-19 epidemics, putting Liberia’s public services to the test, and in 2024, Liberia ranked 177th out of 189 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index.  

The Global Hunger Index report, 2024 shows that, hunger is on the rise in Liberia. The country ranks 120th out of 127 countries, showing a “serious” level of hunger. Nearly two in every five Liberians are malnourished with only 0.4 percentage point decrease from 2016 and three in every five children under five are “stunted”. 

This year Action Against Hunger implemented the final year of the Liberia WASH Consortium, a multi-sectoral programme funded by Irish Aid. The project tackled undernutrition and chronic malnutrition in Montserrado (Rural) and Grand Bassa counties by improving livelihoods and access to safe, varied, and nutritious food, and ensuring sustainable access to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene. It also continued to build the capacity of community health workers to deliver quality basic services and implement strategies to prevent stunting. In addition to service delivery, Action Against Hunger focuses on building the capacity of Ministry of Health staff, community health workers and local service delivery structures.  

Additionally in 2024, Action Against Hunger worked to improve health services and practices in Montserrado County and will continue to do so in 2025 through the French Development Agency (AFD) funded Better Health Outcomes for Liberians (BEHOL) Program. This multiyear program aims to strengthen the capacity of health systems to deliver better health outcomes for Liberians through infrastructure improvement, training of health workers and community health structures in 25 health facilities across three counties of Nimba, Margibi and Montserrado. Action Against Hunger carried out studies on medical waste management, protection and gender, and mental health, to inform 2025 project implementation. 

On the other hand, Action Against Hunger continued the PROSSAN 2 programme, strengthening health services and practices among women, men, and adolescents in Montserrado’s marginalised neighbourhoods.  

Finally, Action Against Hunger, through food security and nutrition working groups has been engaged in strengthening communication, coordination, and advocate to improve health and nutrition situation of mothers and children in Liberia.