President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has given a significant push to Liberia’s fight against HIV/AIDS with a donation of US$50,000 and a pledge of two pickups to the National AIDS Commission (NAC), signaling renewed government commitment to achieving zero new infections by 2030.
The announcement came during the Commission’s first-ever fundraising dinner, held Friday evening at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex under the theme “Mobilizing domestic resources to strengthen coordination, monitoring and oversight of Liberia’s HIV response.”
President Boakai, speaking to a packed hall of health workers, government officials, civil society actors, and donors, emphasized that stronger local ownership and sustainable financing are key to meeting national and global HIV goals.
“Our government is committed to stopping new HIV infections by 2030,” Boakai declared. “We must take responsibility for our public health and show the world that Liberia is serious about financing its future.”
According to the president, over 34,000 Liberians are currently on HIV treatment, a number that reflects the urgent need for robust and well-funded response mechanisms. He urged philanthropic organizations, private citizens, and public institutions to contribute to the national effort, noting that international partners are closely watching Liberia’s domestic commitment to health financing.
President Boakai assured that the donation and pledged vehicles are just the beginning, promising more collaboration with NAC to secure long-term funding for HIV response programs.
NAC’s Commissioner for Partnership and Resource Mobilization, Tracy Pency-Kyne, welcomed the president’s contribution, calling it a “game-changer.” She said the Commission has been operating under severe budgetary constraints, with limited capacity to perform essential roles like coordination, monitoring, and oversight.
“We are struggling,” Pency-Kyne stated. “And as donor support declines, domestic funding becomes our only sustainable path forward.”
She added that if financial shortfalls persist, Liberia risks falling behind on its HIV response targets, including prevention, treatment, and data monitoring.
The event drew participants from government ministries, public corporations, NGOs, and the private sector, many of whom pledged varying levels of support to the Commission’s mission.
The National AIDS Commission plays a central role in coordinating Liberia’s HIV/AIDS strategy, aiming to reduce new infections, improve access to treatment, and align national targets with global health commitments by 2030.
Friday’s fundraising dinner marked a historic step toward greater self-reliance in Liberia’s health sector, with the president’s contribution setting the tone for what organizers hope will become a national movement of ownership and action.
