Action Against Hunger and Expertise France Launch Collaborative Project BEHOL-HEALTH

Action Against Hunger and Expertise France, in collaboration with the French Development Agency (AFD), have launched two complementary projects under the Better Health Outcomes for Liberians (BEHOL) and Harnessing Effective Approaches on Leadership, coordination, and Training (HEALTH) Projects, to strengthen Liberia’s health system.

These projects aim to build resilience within Liberia’s health system, enhance the quality of health services, and strengthen the capacity of healthcare staffs at national, sub-national, and community levels.

Liberia has faced series of difficulties over the past decades, including civil war, the devastating Ebola Virus Disease epidemic from 2014-2016, and the global COVID-19 pandemic. These events have left an impact on the country’s public health system and health infrastructure, causing rise in the prevalence of mental health disorders, shortage of health workers, and undermining public trust in the health system. Despite progress in maternal and child health, Liberia continues to struggle with high maternal mortality rates, low institutional delivery rates, and shortages of health workers. The under-5 mortality rates remain high at 93 per 1,000 births.

Collaborative Project Overview

BEHOL Project by Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger, in collaboration with AFD, has launched the Better Health Outcomes for Liberians (BEHOL) Project. With €5 million in funding, this project aims to improve the health status of Liberian women, men, girls and boys living in the three Counties of Nimba (6 health facilities), Margibi (4 health facilities), and Montserrado (15 health facilities). During 3 years, this project will contribute to enhance MoH leadership, ownership and oversight at national, county and district levels and improve the quality of reproductive, maternal, child health, family planning, nutrition, and mental health services, provided by skilled health care workers at facility and community levels.

The project will also prevent under nutrition, awareness-raising and advice to promote optimal nutrition for mothers, infants and young children will be provided in the various health facilities. In addition, Action Against Hunger will contribute to the dissemination of new WHO guidelines on the management and prevention of acute malnutrition and oedema in children aged 0-59 months, by supporting the nutrition division.

Sukhdev SHARMA, Country Director Action Against Hunger, Liberia: “Today, improving the quality of health services is a major challenge in Liberia. This contribution will strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable populations especially health of women, young girls and children under the age of 5 and will help combat malnutrition at the national level”.

Projet HEALTH par Expertise France

Simultaneously, Expertise France, in collaboration with AFD, has launched the Harnessing Effective Approaches on Leadership, coordination, and Training HEALTH project. With €3 million in funding, this project aims to strengthen the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) coordination and oversight roles, improve leadership, management, and governance (LMG) skills at sub-national levels, and enhance the quality of midwifery training in Nimba, Margibi and Montserrado counties. 

Recognizing the critical need for LMG and health administration improvements identified during the feasibility study conducted by Expertise France in April 2023, the project emphasizes building LMG capacities among managers at national and sub-national level. By enhancing the MoH’s coordination and management capabilities, the project aims to improve the effectiveness of aid coordination across the heath sector. Additionally, by strengthening the content and resource of midwifery pre-service training, the project seeks to address the shortage of quality healthcare professionals and enhance resilience of training facilities.

Jérémie Pellet, CEO of Expertise France: “The HEALTH project we are leading in partnership with Action Against Hunger and the French Development Agency perfectly illustrates our commitment to sustainably strengthening national health systems. By working closely with the Liberian Ministry of Health, we strive to enhance local capacities in leadership, management, and governance, which are essential to ensuring equitable and quality access to healthcare. Together, we contribute to building a more resilient health system capable of addressing both current and future challenges.”

HEALTH Project by Expertise France

Together, the BEHOL and HEALTH Projects represent a comprehensive approach to address Liberia’s health system challenges. By enhancing the leadership and coordination capabilities of the MoH, improving healthcare service delivery, and targeting key issues like maternal and nutrition, these initiatives will contribute to a stronger, more resilient health system in Liberia.

Project Details

• Duration : January 2024 – December 2026
• Total Budget : €8 million (€5 million – BEHOL, and €3 million – HEALTH)
• Beneficiaries : More than 350,000 individuals across the Nimba, Margibi and 
  Montserrado counties.
• Key Partners : Ministry of Health, Nimba, Margibi and Montserrado County Health 
  Teams, Liberia Board of Nursing and Midwifery, Action Against Hunger, Expertise France, and French Development Agency.