Liberia at the weekend joined the global community in observing World Malaria Day 2025 with a call to state actors to ensure the implementation of the country’s National Action Plan.
Albertha Clark Kollie, Liberia’s first female General Surgeon of the of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) run 14 Military Hospital, attributed the cause of malaria to poverty and underdevelopment as a result of corruption.
“Poverty leads to malaria. Underdevelopment causes malaria as more as corruption leads to malaria. Therefore, we call on all state actors to embrace this action plan to reduce Malaria by 2030,” she asserts.
The AFL medical practitioner points out that amid challenges in the fight against malaria, hope is still alive “We are not completely hopeless. Liberia has distributed millions of insecticide treated nets. We have trained community health workers in the most remote corners of the country. Our national malaria has made gains in rapid diagnostic testing and treatment protocols,” she notes.
However, she warns that progress is not victory yet as the vision ahead to eradicate malaria remains challenging. “The vision ahead is clear; where no child dies from malaria and where no pregnant woman sleeps under mosquito nets. We need a Liberia where workers are well-equipped and well-trained.”
“This is not just a health agenda; it is national priority. We must educate and teach our children, and neighbors in our communities about how malaria spreads. Use your voice to push for increased funding, better infrastructure and more attention to rural communities. Support health workers, they are the frontline soldiers in this battle. Respect their work and listen to their guidance,” adds the World Malaria Day guest speaker.
World Malaria Day is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness about malaria, a life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted to humans through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. World Malaria Day, marked every April 25, serves as a global call to action to combat malaria, which continues to be a major cause of preventable illness and death, particularly in developing countries.
This year’s celebration began with a parade from the Ministry of Health to the EJS Ministerial Complex, where the official indoor program was held. The celebration was held under the theme: “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite” with the slogan: “Zero Malaria Starts With Us.”
