Global Health: A Profile of Liberia

Running head: GLOBAL HEALTH
Liberia
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1GLOBAL HEALTH
Introduction- The Republic of Liberia is a country present on the West African Coast
and is found to cover an approximate area of 111,369 square kilometers, and a population of
4,700,000 people. According to the population census, the density of the country is 40.43/km2
(104.7/sq mi). According to the national census conducted in 2017, the country was home to
an estimated 4,694,608 people, of whom 1,118,241 were found to reside in the most populous
region of Montserrado County (The World Bank, 2018).
Country Profile- As per the GBP reports, the country is found to suffer an extreme
burden of disease. Some of the most common conditions that are found to affect the
population of Liberia include diarrhea, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, lower respiratory infections,
congenital birth defects, and neonatal preterm birth complications that account for 11.85%,
4.87%, 8.96%, 5.55%, 3.45%, and 3.6% of total DALYs (Vizhub.healthdata.org, 2018).
Figure 1- Burden of disease
Source- (WHO, 2015)

2GLOBAL HEALTH
Furthermore, most common risk factors that were found to contribute to the
increased prevalence of the aforementioned diseases are behavioral, environmental and
metabolic factors. Reports from the World Health Organization published in 2009 suggested
that there were an estimated 17% people who lived in cities. 235/1000 live births in 2006
were found under 5 years of age, related to mortality rate. Additionally, the life expectancy
was reported to be 44 years (WHO, 2009).
These reports are also in accordance with the fact that some of the major risk factors
that are found to create an impact on the environmental burden of diseases are poor
sanitation, water and hygiene, indoor and outdoor air, and malarial vectors (WHO, 2017).
According to the African Health Observatory (2018) the people living in Liberia are
subjected to different vectors such as, A. gambiae, A. melas, A. funestus, A. hancocki.
Furthermore, cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, cancers, musculoskeletal
disorders and unintentional injuries are also prevalent. The 2030 Agenda that focuses on
Sustainable Development resolves to free humankind from insufficiency, and poverty,
besides securing a healthy planet for all future generations, and building a peaceful, and all
inclusive society (United Nations, 2017).
However, the current health burden the Liberia faces calls for the immediate need of
taking efforts that will help realize these goals. According to UNDP (2016), during the Ebola
outbreak that occurred in the year 2014, an assessed 5 million kids were deprived of
education in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The expected years of schooling has been
found to be 9.9 in Liberia, in addition to a 0.427 Human Development Index (HDI).
Furthermore, only 55.2% infants were exclusively breastfed during 2010-2015, which in turn
might have contributed to lack of immunity and onset of different diseases among children.
26 and 42 infants were also found to lack immunization from DTP and measles, respectively.