Gbarnga — Liberia's Disease Surveillance Officers (SOs) have issued a hard-hitting ultimatum to the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), threatening to suspend all surveillance reporting nationwide beginning today, Monday, August 11 if a series of long-standing operational, financial, and administrative grievances are not addressed.
In a formal position statement submitted to NPHIL Director General Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan on August 8, the County, District, and Zonal Surveillance Officers accused the institution's leadership, including its Division of Infectious Disease Epidemiology (DIDE) of ignoring repeated appeals and engagements to resolve urgent matters affecting the country's disease monitoring system.
The officers, who convened in an emergency meeting on Thursday, August 6 at the Upper-Class Guest House in Gbarnga, outlined their demands.
Chief among them was the immediate payment of operational support (OPS) arrears dating back to October 2024.
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They said these unpaid allowances have left them indebted to vendors and unable to maintain essential disease surveillance operations.
"This matter is non-negotiable and must be resolved before further discussions can occur," the statement read.
Other demands include the full transition of all County Surveillance Officers (CSOs) to the NPHIL payroll, inclusion of all remaining District and Zonal Surveillance Officers on payroll, provision of health insurance for all Surveillance Officers and retroactive payment of OPS from October 2024 to August 2025.
The officers argue that their work, which involves detecting, reporting, and responding to potential public health threats, is being carried out under "minimal support" despite the high risks they face in the field.
The aggrieved healthcare workers maintained that the lack of financial and logistical backing from NPHIL is eroding morale and jeopardizing Liberia's early warning system for epidemics.
Planned Protest Actions
According to the public healthcare workers, if their concerns remain unresolved, they plan to engage the Ministry of Health and the National Legislature to draw attention to the crisis.
They also plan to withhold all surveillance reports starting Week 32 of August 11, a move that could leave the country without up-to-date epidemiological data.
A Familiar Strain in the Health Sector
This standoff echoes previous disputes in Liberia's health sector, such as the 2019 strike by the National Health Workers Union of Liberia (NAHWUL), which saw nurses and clinical staff abandon posts over salary arrears, benefits, and lack of insurance.
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That impasse resulted in temporary service disruptions in public health facilities and heightened concerns about the country's epidemic readiness.
Public health experts warn that a breakdown in surveillance reporting, even for a short period, could have far-reaching consequences, including delayed detection of outbreaks like measles, cholera, or Lassa fever.
As of press time, NPHIL had not responded to the Surveillance Officers' latest position statement, following contact and WhatsApp communication with the NPHIL Director General, Dr. Dougbe Chris Nyan.
