The Managing Director of the Liberia Medicines & Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA), Dr. Luke L. Bawo, has outlined plans to advance the agency’s operations by transitioning from manual processing to automation.
This modernization effort includes streamlining drug registration, certification and implementing digital track-and-trace system for all imported health commodities in Liberia.
According to him, achieving such a standard requires thorough assessment of the institution’s infrastructure, as the current infrastructure does not meet international standards.
Based on the above, he noted; a public-private partnership aimed at revamping the Quality Control lab has been worked on and approved by both the Concession Committee and the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission chaired by Finance & Planning Minister Augustine Ngafuan.
Once fully implemented, said Dr. Bawo, LMHRA will have the capacity to test all pharmaceutical products circulating in the country by the end of 2025.
'Our mandate is to protect the health of the people by ensuring only safe, quality products are in circulation on the Liberian market', Bawo added.
He made the statements on Friday, June 6 2025, during an oversight tour by the Senate's Committee on Health at the LMHRA’s central office in Monrovia and its Quality Control Laboratory in King’s Farm, Careysburg.
For her part, Senator Dabba Varpilah, Chairperson of the Liberian Senate Committee on Health, underscored the urgent need to improve Liberia’s drug testing laboratory, and pledged the committee’s support in prioritizing LMHRA’s requirements in the 2026 national budget.
"The Committee’s visit to the Quality Control Lab is to understand the institution’s needs and present a well-informed case for support before the plenary of the Liberian Senate," Senator Varpilah stated.
Now that our visit has given us an insight, she pointed out, we will present the case before the Senate's plenary.
The health committee chairperson, at the same time recommended a long-term vision for sustainable reforms and improvements, pledging support to ensuring needs of the institution are prioritized in the National Budget.
Meanwhile, Senator Varpilah was accompanied by Senators Jonathan Boye-Charles Sogbie of River Gee, Thomas Yaya Nimely of Grand Gedeh, and Cllr. Augustine S. Chea of Sinoe..