Monrovia — Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, Director-General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), spent the weekend overseeing Mpox diagnostic operations at the National Reference Laboratory as part of ongoing national efforts to contain the viral outbreak.
Speaking in a brief interview on Saturday evening, June 28, 2025, Dr. Nyan--a renowned molecular diagnostics expert--described the experience as both "impressive and rewarding."
"Performing Mpox diagnostics throughout this weekend at the National Reference Laboratory of NPHIL, along with our junior scientists, was both impressive and rewarding," he said, signing off with hashtags: #StopMpox #NPHIL #OutbreakResponse #PublicHealthSafety.
Dr. Nyan's remarks followed the latest Mpox update released by NPHIL on Friday, June 27. According to the report, Liberia currently has 17 active Mpox cases, down from 18 earlier in the week. Recoveries have increased to 158, and no deaths have been recorded since the outbreak began.
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However, he cautioned that the current numbers may not reflect the full picture due to a pause in testing since June 8 caused by a global shortage of Mpox testing kits.
"When we resume testing [backlogged specimens], the number of active cases may probably increase if any positive results are detected," Dr. Nyan said.
"These results show measurable progress, but this is not the time for complacency. Our teams are working across the country to contain the outbreak, and we urge all Liberians to support these efforts by following health guidelines."
The data reflects a slight improvement from the June 24 update, which reported 18 active cases and 157 recoveries. While health authorities are encouraged by the downward trend, they stress that continued public vigilance is vital.
Dr. Nyan urged the public to avoid physical contact, practice regular hand hygiene, and report any suspected symptoms to local health authorities or directly to NPHIL.
Under Dr. Nyan's leadership, NPHIL is managing the national Mpox response through its Incident Management System (IMS), which includes deploying surveillance teams, conducting public awareness campaigns, and coordinating efforts with local and international partners to contain the virus.
Dr. Ralph Jetoh, Director of NPHIL's Division of Infectious Disease and Epidemiology (DIDE), added that the agency is also strengthening cross-border surveillance and increasing active case finding in communities.
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Appointed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in August 2024, Dr. Nyan is an internationally respected public health expert and recipient of the 2017 African Innovation Prize for Social Impact. He is widely recognized for developing low-cost diagnostic tools and for his leadership during Liberia's Ebola crisis. His research has been published in leading scientific journals, and he has testified before the U.S. Congress on public health issues.
As Liberia works to stamp out Mpox, Dr. Nyan continues to lead from the front--combining scientific expertise with real-time response to safeguard public health.
