Global Fund Mission Concludes In Liberia with Renewed Commitment to Strengthen HIV, TB, and Malaria Response and Improve Budget Alignment

Monrovia, Liberia: The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Liberia Coordinating Mechanism (LCM), in collaboration with the Global Fund Country Team (CT), successfully concluded a high-level oversight mission from July 13 to 18, 2025. The mission aimed to strengthen oversight of Global Fund-supported health programs, realign budget priorities, and address implementation bottlenecks affecting Liberia’s response to HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria.

The Global Fund delegation was led by Mr. Manassé Kassi (Fund Portfolio Manager for Liberia), Mr. Sule Abah (PSM Lead), and Ms. Afiefa Barrow (Finance Lead), who held a series of strategic and technical sessions with national counterparts, including the MOH, Principal Recipients (PRs), the LCM Executive Committee, CRS, the Program Implementation Lead (PIL), and civil society stakeholders.

The mission featured extensive discussions on grant reprioritization, supply chain management, laboratory, community health and human resources for health (HRH), health product and waste management, and health financing. A key session held on July 14&15 in Monrovia focused on the review of the reprioritized budget for the CRS and PIL grants, with emphasis on key adjustments made in response to shifting health priorities, funding realities, and implementation risks.

During a wrap-up debriefing, Mr. Manasse Kassi, Fund Portfolio Manager of the Global Fund for Liberia commended Liberia for the quality of draft budgets submitted and acknowledged that only minor adjustments were required. He emphasized continued collaboration with the MoH, PRs, and the LCM to finalize budget realignment, particularly in areas such as supply chain systems, laboratory infrastructure, and HRH strategy.

Field visits to Margibi and other areas enriched the mission’s insights, revealing areas of strength and concern. These visits were noted to have significantly informed reporting and future planning. The Country Director of Plan International Liberia (PIL), Miriam Murray, thanked the CT for its hands-on engagement and called for the presentation slides to be shared with PRs to guide necessary updates to action plans.

CRS Country Representative Glynnis Cummings-John extended appreciation for the CT’s constructive feedback and reaffirmed CRS’s commitment to timely program delivery and stronger collaboration.

Speaking on behalf of the LCM, Mr. William E. Walker, Jr. welcomed the progress made and requested further clarity on the timeline for completing budget prioritization. While the nominal deadline remains September 2025, he advocated for an accelerated process, expressing optimism that Liberia could secure final approval before the end of August.

The Global Fund Country Team for Liberia also presented an update on the grant’s Performance Framework, noting positive trends in the first and second semesters. However, significant challenges remain, particularly around specimen transportation, pediatric TB testing, and quality of care for TB patients. Importantly, the CT clarified that approved indicators and targets in the PF are fixed and cannot be altered.

Mr. Rufus, representing the National Leporsy and TB Program, acknowledged the CT’s support and highlighted persistent capacity gaps at the Central Medical Stores (CMS), calling for targeted investment to address these systemic weaknesses.

Dr. Catherine Cooper, Chief Medical Official Liberia who chaired the debriefing, reiterated the urgent need for improved coordination and communication to meet programmatic goals. She emphasized that Liberia must work collectively to overcome operational delays and deliver on key targets, including reduced malaria burden, expanded HIV testing and treatment, and improved TB case notification.

“What is concerning is not just the targets, but the systems we need in place to meet them,” Dr. Cooper stated. “Despite the delays and bottlenecks, we are committed to pushing forward. Liberia has the will and capacity—what we need is stronger teamwork and a sharper focus on the Performance Framework.”

Dr. Cooper extended appreciation to the Global Fund Country Team for their in-country engagement and expressed hope that all stakeholders, especially the PRs will remain aligned in efforts to solve implementation challenges.

As the mission concludes, all partners reaffirmed their dedication to ensuring that Global Fund investments continue to deliver impactful and equitable health outcomes for all Liberians.

Source: Liberia Coordinating Mechanism (LCM)