More than 100 aspiring public health professionals and students from various parts of Liberia have wrapped up a day-long conference focused on motivating the upcoming cohort of health leaders to address the country's critical public health issues through innovation, advocacy, and partnership.
The National Emerging Public Health Students Conference 2025, coordinated by the Hope Rising Heart Initiative (HRHI) in partnership with Golden Waste Solutions Enterprise Inc., united young individuals involved in health studies or professions to share insights with specialists and policymakers on the prospects of public health in Liberia.
The conference revolved around the theme: "Empowering Tomorrow's Leaders: Innovating Public Health for a Sustainable Future." Experts from critical public health and environmental entities such as the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Ministry of Health led discussions on various topics, including environmental health, waste management, disease prevention, antimicrobial resistance, and non-communicable diseases.
During the conference's opening, Lawrance J.W. Sergbou, Country Director of Hope Rising Heart Initiative, emphasized the importance of placing young individuals at the forefront of Liberia's health transformation endeavors.
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"Youth are not passive recipients of change; they are the changemakers," Sergbou said. "This platform was designed to connect knowledge with action and passion with purpose as we seek new solutions to Liberia's public health challenges."
Sergbou highlighted that the conference is a component of HRHI's larger endeavors to enhance health awareness and leadership among youth, expanding on past activities like school health clubs, reproductive health workshops, malaria prevention campaigns, and HIV/AIDS education in Montserrado County. As the guest speaker, Mrs. Jamesetta Sosome Goaneh-Chesson, an experienced health advocate, urged young public health professionals to champion behavioral change within their communities and utilize technology to disseminate public health messages.
"Young leaders must embrace the responsibility of educating their peers and communities," Mrs. Goaneh-Chesson said. "Use technology to create content that informs people about health risks and how to protect themselves. This is how you contribute to national development in today's world."
Christine Brow, a participant, described the event as eye-opening and encouraged her peers to take advantage of similar opportunities that contribute to professional growth and national development.
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"I encourage other young people to seize these opportunities, which help us contribute meaningfully to Liberia's health sector," Brow said.
The organizers say the conference serves as a starting point for deeper engagements between young people, government institutions, and civil society to promote health innovation, leadership, and accountability in Liberia's public health space.
