As Health Authorities Propose US$4.2 Ebola Prevention And Response Budget, Exceeding NPHIL’s 2026 National Budget
By Our Staff Writer
The old adage, “prepare for war in the time of peace” is being played out by health authorities in Liberia, as the Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) intensifies, with a spread to neigbouring Uganda where the number of cases has risen to seven.
Sixteen people who recently traveled from the epic center, Congo and Uganda are currently under surveillance after arriving in Liberia, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) said in Monrovia on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Three of the 16 people are Liberians.
Dr. Sia Watta-Camanor, NPHIL Director
Health authorities told Journalists that the ongoing screening of these individuals
“is part of Liberia’s enhanced surveillance and preparedness efforts in response to the potential reemergence of the deadly Ebola virus on the African continent.”
NPHIL reaffirmed that Liberia has not recorded any confirmed cases of the disease.
At the same time, Liberia’s Health Minister, Dr. Louis Mapleh Kpoto has disclosed that a US4.2 million budget has been proposed to government for Ebola prevention, control and response across this West African country, which was first hit by a dead outbreak in 2024.
Dr. Kpoto said the amount will be used to procure personal protective equipment, medical supplies and to implement risk communication activities, among other things.
Heath Min. Dr. Louis Mapleh Kpoto
The proposed Ebola budget of over US$ four million is more than the current 2026 annual budget of NPHI, something NPHIL’s former Director General, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan criticized in an interview with the local radio, OK Fm this morning, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. The 2026 NPHIL budget is little over US$3.4 million.
Dr. Nyan indicated that the ongoing Ebola prevention and response operation could cut down on cost by utilizing some of the public health infrastructures set up during both the COVID-19 and M-pox public health campaigns in Liberia.
Earlier in an interview with the international news network, Al Jazeera, the Liberian international public health expert said Liberia has learned lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak including the deployment of expertise, the coordination of multi-national forces of experts in public health research and response.