For decades, Liberia’s health system has struggled under the weight of political crises—including two civil wars—and the widespread infectious disease outbreaks. The most recent of these was the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak, which caused 10,000 cases in the country. The outbreak crippled public health infrastructure, created food shortage issues, and devastated the economy. These catastrophic events have decimated Liberia’s laboratory system, resulting in major gaps in the country’s ability to provide timely and accurate diagnoses to patients.

Since 2017, ASM has been working closely with the newly established laboratory team at Phebe Hospital and School of Nursing in Bong County to implement basic microbiology services. Located in a former Ebola hot zone, the hospital serves about 450,000 people (around 10% of the country’s population), and suffered devastating losses when most of its laboratory staff died during the Ebola outbreak.

Working with the Henry F. Jackson Foundation and the Austere Environments Consortium for Enhanced Sepsis Outcomes (ACESO) group, ASM has fully trained four new laboratory mentors on basic microbiology testing and blood culture techniques. These mentors are now able to independently carry out a pre-set menu of laboratory tests, manage supplies and equipment to ensure quality diagnostics are provided, and oversee reporting of results via proper documentation methods.

In just one year, ASM and the local staff brought this laboratory from nonexistent to operational. In addition to the trainings, ASM has made recommendations on laboratory space, equipment usage, and staff communications, all of which are intended to promote better patient care outcomes.