By George Werner, Former Minister of Education, Liberia
Last weekend, I reflected on Why Liberia Must Lead a Bold National Response to Non-Communicable Diseases Before It’s Too Late.
Not long ago, my cousin called me. His voice was heavy.
“My ma died,” he said.
“She wasn’t sick. She just went to visit some relatives… and fell. We rushed her to the hospital, but she didn’t make it.”
A few months before that, a friend of mine — young, energetic, full of life — woke up, cleaned his house, swept his yard, and then collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital. Pronounced dead on arrival.
And almost every week now, we scroll through our phones and see it again: another “sudden” death. A co-worker, a neighbor, a classmate — gone without warning. But the truth is, these deaths aren’t always sudden. They are often the final stage of something silent — something ignored.
These are the faces of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) — heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney failure, high blood pressure, cancer. They do not spread from person to person, but they kill just the same. They strike in silence and leave families shattered, communities grieving, and a nation slowly bleeding life.
The saddest part? Many of these diseases are preventable. Detectable. Manageable — if we act early. But most of us don’t. We think, “I’m still young.” We wait. We avoid checkups. We don’t talk about health until it’s too late.
Liberia has faced health crises before — and we rose to meet them. During Ebola, the world watched us suffer — and watched us lead. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf wrote a letter to the world. That letter, and Liberia’s leadership, galvanized international action. From that tragedy, we built a stronger county health system.
That same system helped us respond quickly to COVID-19 under President George Weah. Despite limited resources, Liberia’s response was swift, organized, and praised. We showed once again that we can rise, adapt, and protect our people when we are led with urgency and clarity.
Now, the challenge under this administration is not a virus — but a silent epidemic.
Non-communicable diseases are killing more Liberians than ever before, yet we’re not talking about them enough. There is no outbreak alert, no curfew, no emergency broadcast — just quiet funerals, unanswered questions, and the creeping fear of: Who’s next?
And so today, I issue a respectful but urgent challenge — to the Ministry of Health and to the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL): Lead this fight.
Declare non-communicable diseases a national priority. Launch a bold and visible public awareness campaign. Mobilize our county health teams. Take prevention to the people — into markets, churches, mosques, schools, communities. Make health checks routine, not rare. Encourage screenings. Promote healthy lifestyles. And most importantly, normalize talking about what’s happening inside our bodies — before it’s too late.
This is not about money. It will not cost us what Ebola or COVID-19 did.
This is about strategy, discipline, communication — and leadership.
Let this administration be remembered not only for how it responded to pandemics, but for how it prevented the next health crisis from unfolding in silence.
We are not powerless. We have the tools. We have the experience. And we have the responsibility.
Let us act now — before the next phone call, the next headline, the next funeral.
Let us act now — because our health is our wealth.
Let us act now — because the silent killers among us will not wait.
