The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has officially handed over a newly refurbished maternity complex at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Medical Center in Monrovia, marking a major boost to Liberia’s campaign to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
The project, implemented through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with support from the Government of Japan, forms part of Liberia’s national “365 Days Campaign” aimed at drastically cutting maternal mortality and improving reproductive health services across the country.
Speaking Tuesday, April 28, 2026, during the handover ceremony, Health Minister Dr. Louise M. Kpoto described maternal and newborn deaths in Liberia as a painful contradiction despite increased investments in health infrastructure, skilled workers, ambulances, medicines, and referral systems.
“Every day in our country, women take the risk of giving life, but for many, that journey becomes dangerous. These deaths are preventable by science, yet we are still losing mothers and babies,” Dr. Kpoto said.
She explained that while the country now has improved access to ultrasound machines, ambulances, and medical supplies, preventable deaths continue to occur due to persistent service delivery challenges.
Liberia’s Health Minister said, “The equipment is there, the drugs are there, the capacity is being built, but yet we are still having maternal deaths. So, the question is, what are the issues? Service delivery must improve.”
According to her, the Japanese-funded intervention included the renovation of the maternity unit, procurement of life-saving medical equipment and supplies, expansion of bed capacity, and refresher training for over 40 midwives in emergency obstetric and newborn care.
She disclosed that additional healthcare workers were also trained in the Japanese 5S-KAIZEN quality improvement system to strengthen hygiene, workplace management, and service delivery. Minister Kpoto assured the Japanese government that Liberia would properly maintain the facility and equipment, while also revealing plans to establish a biomedical school to train technicians to repair and maintain hospital machines nationwide.
“This is taxpayers’ money from Japan. We must use it wisely. Emergency obstetric care must be our priority,” she declared. For his part, Japan’s Ambassador to Liberia, His Excellency Hiroshi Yoshimoto, said the initiative reflects Japan’s commitment to supporting human security and sustainable healthcare development in Liberia.
According to the Ambassador, healthcare is an investment in a country’s future; every mother deserves the opportunity to give birth safely, and every child deserves a healthy start to life. Ambassador Yoshimoto noted that the project aligns with Japan’s development cooperation policy of supporting self-help efforts and ensuring dignified maternal healthcare for women.
Also speaking, UN Resident Coordinator Christine N. Umutoni praised Japan as a reliable development partner, especially at a time when global development assistance is declining despite growing local needs.
She narrated that in this difficult global environment, Japan continues to stand out as a dependable partner, adding that Japan’s support is helping Liberia move closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the ARREST Agenda.
However, UNFPA Deputy Representative Leonard Kamugisha said the project specifically targets women and girls in hard-to-reach rural and peri-urban communities in Montserrado County and aims to reduce the high risk of preventable maternal and child deaths.
“With cleaner, safer, and more dignified spaces for labor and recovery, mothers now have better access to quality maternal healthcare. No woman should die giving life,” he emphasized.
The maternity center, originally established through Japanese grant assistance in 1982 as the Liberia-Japan Friendship Maternity Hospital, remains one of the country’s most important maternal health institutions.
