Dr. Kpoto Receives ECOWAS Parliament Delegation
…Reveals Plans to Tackle Drug and Substance Abuse Trend in Liberia
(Monrovia, Liberia, August 4, 2025) – The Minister of Health, Dr. Louise Mapleh Kpoto, on Monday, August 4, 2025, welcomed a high-level delegation from the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as part of a regional outreach mission targeted at addressing the growing crisis of drug and substance abuse and its impact on mental health across member states.
The delegation, part of the ECOWAS Parliamentary Sensitization Outreach Mission on Psychoactive Substance Abuse and Mental Health, held talks with the senior management team of the Ministry of Health. The meeting focused on gaining firsthand insights into the scale of substance use disorders in Liberia and exploring collaborative strategies to combat the rising trend.
The dialogue centered on Liberia’s national efforts to address substance abuse, with the ECOWAS delegation outlining plans for a harmonized regional response to what they described as a pressing public health emergency.
The mission is led by Hon. Dr. Orlando Pereira Dias, Chair of the ECOWAS Parliament Health Committee, with operations in Liberia directed by Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay, Deputy Chief Whip of the Parliament of Sierra Leone. Also, parts of the delegation were members of Liberia’s representation to the ECOWAS Parliament, including Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe and other senior lawmakers.
“We are here to listen and to learn,” said Hon. Dr. Dias. “Our mission is to engage with key national actors and ensure that our region responds as one to the growing threat posed by drugs and related mental health issues. This is not just a national problem; it is a regional emergency that demands coordinated legislative and public health interventions,” he emphasized.
Minister Kpoto warmly received the delegation and underscored the seriousness of the drug crisis in Liberia. She described substance abuse as both a national security threat and a public health crisis requiring immediate and sustained multi-sectoral action.
“Drug and substance abuse are not just undermining our youth, they are slowly eroding the very fabric of our communities,” Dr. Kpoto said.
“As a government, we are committed to tackling this crisis through prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration services, and H.E. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has demonstrated the political will,” she added.
Add comment
Comments