My Liberia

Population: 4,731,906 (2017)
Per capita income: $710
Life expectancy at birth: F 64/M 62 years
Infant mortality rate: 50/1,000 live births

Sources: World Bank 2018, Liberia
Population Reference Bureau 2018, Liberia

About AFENET Liberia

AFENET is a non-profit networking and service alliance of Field Epidemiology (and Laboratory) Training Programs (FELTPs), and other applied epidemiology training programs. AFENET has operations in over 31 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa or the World Health Organisation Africa Region (WHO – AFRO). Established in 2005, AFENET is dedicated to helping Ministries of Health in Africa build strong, effective, sustainable programs and capacity to improve public health systems on the African continent.

The network’s goal is to strengthen field epidemiology and public health laboratory capacity to contribute effectively to addressing epidemics and other major public health problems in Africa.

AFENET currently operates in 31 African countries namely: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Our Objectives

AFENET works through Seven priority areas to achieve its strategic objectives. The areas include:

Promoting the "ONE HEALTH" Approach

Establishing and strengthening of One Health platforms in Africa
Preparedness and Response
One health training programs (Burkina Faso and Senegal)

Developing Field Epidemiology Capacity in Africa

This program fosters the professional development of field epidemiologists, competent in the practical application of epidemiologic methods to a wide range of contemporary public health problems. The strategic objective addressed by this program is strengthening field epidemiology capacity in Africa. Emphasis is placed on the following strategic actions:

Developing Public Health Laboratory Capacity in Africa

This area focuses on the strategic objective of enhancing public health laboratory capacity in Africa. Emphasis is on the following strategic actions:

Establishing the current capacity of health laboratories in Africa
Establishing and operationalizing a laboratory networking mechanism
Supporting laboratory capacity among member programs

Public Health Disease Surveillance and Effective Response Systems

Member programs contribute to strengthening surveillance and outbreak response systems. This includes formulation, strengthening, and periodical review of surveillance and emergency preparedness plans. The strategic objective advanced by this area is strengthening surveillance and outbreak response systems for communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases. Through this program area, the following strategic actions are emphasized:

Publication and Documentation

The strategic objective for this program is to strengthen documentation and dissemination of field epidemiology experiences. The following strategic actions are considered:

Supporting research performed by trainees
Facilitating programs to document and disseminate their implementation experiences
Supporting the Secretariat’s capacity to document and disseminate field experiences

Public Health Program Management & Research Development

Public Health Program Management & Research Development aims to strengthen the capacity of disease prevention and control in the Ministries of Health in Africa. Through partnership, some of the projects that have been implemented include: enhancing research, epidemiology, and policy capacity in Sub Saharan Africa (Data to Action Award), Neglected Tropical Diseases Tobacco Control (NTD), Technical assistance to HIV response in Uganda, Malaria project, Nigeria, Tobacco Control, Data Improvement Teams – Uganda, Strengthening the Second Year of Life in Ghana, SMS reminder project in Uganda, Epidemiology of Burkitt’s lymphoma in East-African Children and Minors (EMBLEM) among others.

Networking and Collaboration

This area places emphasis on the strategic objective aimed at advancing the sharing of regional expertise in field epidemiology and laboratory practice. Emphasis is on the following strategic actions:

Conducting experience-sharing conferences, workshops, and seminars in the region
Facilitating faculty exchange programs in the region
Strengthening inter-country collaboration
Facilitating the sharing of training materials in the region
Conducting joint outbreak investigations
Promoting racial and ethnic diversity at all levels of public health practice