On Friday, June 14 the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) handed over seven (7) ambulances to the Ministry of Health (MoH) for use by beneficiary communities in (7) counties) including Bomi, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Nimba, Rivercess, and Rivergee under the Accelerated Community Development Programme (ACDP), a flagship programme.

With an initial contribution of three million United States Dollars from the Government of Liberia, UNDP has procured seven (7) ambulances worth over three hundred fifty-four thousand United States Dollars. 

The Ambulances are meant to enhance the health service delivery capacity of the Ministry of Health in providing effective and efficient health services to the rural poor populations in beneficiary communities. 

The handover event took place at the Ministry of Health compound in Congo Town, Monrovia. 

Receiving the ambulances, Minister of Health Dr. Louise M. Kpoto thanked UNDP and assured that the ambulances will be used for the intended purposes. She further noted that the ministry continues to support the President’s ARREST agenda. 

The UNDP Resident Representative a.i Louis Kuukpen said the ambulance turnover is in line with the vision and aspirations of the ACDP which is to cater to the needs of the most vulnerable populations in rural communities.

Kuukpen said, “These ambulances are therefore intended to be used to beef up the logistical strength of the Ministry of Health County Health Teams (CHT) in providing affordable health delivery services”. 

He said they are tailor-made and designed to operate in ‘hard to reach’ environments and communities of beneficiaries. 

Although the ambulances will not be directly managed by these communities, the Ministry of Health (MoH), through its County Health Team will ensure that inhabitants, especially pregnant women, and children as well as the elderly benefit from services provided by the ambulances. 

Among the dignitaries present at the handover ceremony from the government were ministers and deputies of Health, Deputy Minister for Economic Management, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Deputy Minister for Urban Development, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Deputy Minister of Health as well as representatives from the beneficiary communities, and other stakeholders.

This donation follows previous donations of farming equipment including tractors, trailers, rice and cassava mills, and other basic farming tools valued at over six hundred thousand United States dollars to 14 agriculture cooperatives and over two thousand individual farmers across the six targeted counties.

These rural poor communities include Bomi (Sasstown), Lofa (Mbabahum, Barziwen, Kpayaquelleh & Massamolabun), Margibi (Charlesville), Maryland (Karloken & Baraken), Nimba (Saclepea, Dougborton, Sopea & Gbi Doru), Rivercess (Zammie Town) and Rivergee (Karweaken)

They were amongst 35 selected communities during a feasibility study conducted in 2020 to benefit from the ACDP.

ACDP is an initiative of the Government of Liberia modeled after similar programs in Senegal and Togo (PUDC), The Gambia (PACD), and the DR Congo which seeks to address the real needs of rural poor communities.

Launched in October 2022 by the Government of Liberia during the celebration of UN Day in Liberia, the program is the government’s determination to and commitment to improve the country’s overall human development.

The five-year programme, which is put at one hundred million United States dollars for the first three years 20222-2025, is implemented by UNDP and is aimed at addressing the real and pressing needs of the most vulnerable rural populations of Liberia.

It is expected to have an immediate impact on reducing poverty while accelerating socio-economic development in rural communities. 

The programme also aims to help strengthen human capital and resilience to shocks and pandemics, as well as facilitate the implementation of Liberia’s national agenda such as the ARREST for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030.