Ministry of Health (MOH) Deepens Malaria Surveillance Capacity

The Ministry of Health has intensified efforts to strengthen malaria surveillance and data-driven decision-making, launching a 10-day training to improve the capacity of health workers to track, analyze and respond to the country’s malaria burden.

The training is being conducted in Ganta, Nimba County, from September 16–26 through the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP). It brings together key County Health Team personnel, including County Health Officers, Malaria Focal Persons, Monitoring and Evaluation Officers and Data Managers.

It is designed to equip health workers with practical skills to improve the collection, analysis, interpretation and use of malaria data to strengthen service delivery across Liberia.

The training comes as the nation implements its National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030, which sets ambitious targets for reducing the country’s malaria burden.

Under the strategy, the country aims to reduce malaria-related deaths by at least 50 percent and malaria case incidence by at least 40 percent by 2030, compared with 2022 levels.

The plan also seeks to move Greater Monrovia toward pre-elimination while reducing malaria transmission by at least 75 percent in selected counties with moderate to high malaria burdens.

Those targets will require stronger surveillance systems, better-quality health data and the routine use of evidence to guide decisions at national, county and health-facility levels.

The training therefore places particular emphasis on ensuring that malaria data generated from health facilities and communities are not merely collected and reported, but actively used to identify service-delivery gaps, monitor program performance and inform timely interventions.

The program was preceded by a six-day Training of Trainers (TOT) held in Kakata, Margibi County, bringing together thematic leads from the National Malaria Control Program and staff of the Ministry’s Health Management and Evaluation Research and Technology (HMERT) Division.

The TOT was facilitated by a data expert from REACH Malaria, with support from the SME Unit of the NMCP and the Ministry of Health-HMERT.

The training strengthened the capacity of program and HMERT personnel in malaria surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, while preparing them to cascade the knowledge and skills to County Health Teams.

REACH Malaria, with support from the United States Government, has committed to strengthening Liberia’s malaria data systems through technical assistance, including capacity building and support for improved use of health information.

The partnership forms part of efforts to ensure that Liberia’s malaria program has the technical and institutional capacity required to monitor trends, identify emerging gaps and respond effectively to areas of persistent transmission.

The Ministry expects the strengthened capacity of County Health Teams to contribute to improved surveillance, more effective monitoring of malaria interventions and better-informed service-delivery decisions.

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that reliable malaria data are translated into timely action that protects communities and contributes to reducing malaria illness and deaths across Liberia.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia.