By Staff Writer | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – Dr. Dougbeh Christopher Nyan has assured the public that there are currently no confirmed Ebola cases in Liberia, while cautioning that the country must remain vigilant amid renewed outbreaks in parts of Africa.
In a detailed public statement issued Sunday, May 17, 2026, Dr. Nyan responded to growing concerns among Liberians following recent Ebola outbreak declarations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda by health authorities, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
“This #EBOLA again…!” Dr. Nyan wrote at the opening of his statement, acknowledging widespread public anxiety rooted in Liberia’s painful experience during the devastating 2014 Ebola epidemic that claimed thousands of lives and crippled the nation’s health system and economy.
“First, to this date, you can rest assured that there is No Ebola detected in Liberia, but the country remains vigilant. Be Calm, No Panic!” Dr. Nyan emphasized, while noting that the public’s fears and inquiries are legitimate given the country’s history with the deadly virus.
Liberia was among the hardest-hit West African nations during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, alongside Sierra Leone and Guinea. The epidemic overwhelmed hospitals, devastated families, paralyzed economic activities, and exposed major weaknesses within the region’s healthcare infrastructure. Images of overcrowded treatment centers, healthcare workers in protective suits, and mass public fear remain deeply embedded in the nation’s memory more than a decade later.
Drawing on that history, Dr. Nyan warned that although Liberia is geographically distant from the current outbreaks in Central and East Africa, cross-border transmission remains possible because of international travel and regional movement of people through transit routes.
“While we may be miles away from DR Congo and Uganda, there is a possibility of trans-country transmission due to movement of people between our countries, whether directly or through transit,” he cautioned. “You are right; Don’t let your guard down!”
Dr. Nyan, however, expressed confidence in Liberia’s scientific and technical preparedness, declaring that the country now possesses some of the best outbreak-response expertise on the African continent due to lessons learned from Ebola, COVID-19, and Mpox.
“Throughout the years, NPHIL has been strengthening our disease outbreak preparedness, response, and resilience since Ebola, through COVID-19 to Mpox,” Dr. Nyan stated, while acknowledging support from international partners including the US-CDC and Africa-CDC.
Despite those advancements, Dr. Nyan strongly warned that Liberia’s outbreak preparedness could be undermined by political interference and bureaucratic conflicts within the health sector. According to him, scientific expertise must be allowed to operate independently if the country hopes to effectively confront future outbreaks.
“However, the preparedness and response will be effective only and only if such technical scientific capabilities are left to function devoid of political interferences and bureaucratic power-play from the Ministry of Health,” he declared.
Dr. Nyan further alleged that overlapping structures and institutional rivalry have at times threatened the integrity of Liberia’s public health response architecture. While supporting collaboration between health institutions, he warned against what he described as attempts to sideline trained public health technocrats at NPHIL.
“There must be collaboration, but collaboration itself should not be a guise of practically attempts to usurp the functions of skilled technocrats at the public health institute if we are to mount an effective outbreak response in Liberia,” he stressed.
In one of the most striking revelations in his statement, Dr. Nyan referenced what he described as a dangerous incident in September 2025, when certain officials allegedly attempted to push for a viral hemorrhagic fever declaration without sufficient scientific evidence.
“We recall in September 2025, when there was a frantic effort by the MoH along with the WHO-Liberia Country Representative that could have led to the declaration of a VHF infection or outbreak with no scientific, laboratory or medical evidence,” he claimed.
According to Dr. Nyan, such a declaration could have triggered nationwide panic and severe economic consequences had NPHIL not resisted the pressure. He maintained that laboratory testing at the National Reference Laboratory produced negative results for Ebola and related hemorrhagic viruses.
“Backed by uncontestable laboratory NEGATIVE Test Results for VHFs like Ebola and others from the National Reference Laboratory, our leadership and Team at the NPHIL remained ethical and professional, and strongly resisted these maneuvers,” Dr. Nyan said. “Hence, the country remained viable and functional.”
He warned that false outbreak declarations could have catastrophic implications for governance, trade, travel, and public confidence, particularly for a country still recovering from the trauma of the 2014 epidemic.
The public health expert also emphasized the importance of accurate diagnostics, stronger border surveillance systems, and credible scientific communication. He urged authorities not to undermine Liberia’s port health systems and cross-border surveillance operations that monitor inbound and outbound travelers.
“Diagnostics must be accurate with True Results that are credible and reliable,” he said. “Our Cross-Border Surveillance and Port Health Systems which monitor inbound and outbound passengers must not be undermined, but strengthened, supported and incentivized.”
Dr. Nyan additionally used the statement to educate the public about Ebola transmission, symptoms, and prevention. He explained that the Ebola virus originates in certain animals, particularly bats, before spreading to humans and later transmitting from person to person through infected bodily fluids.
He noted that early symptoms often resemble malaria, including fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting, but can rapidly progress to severe bleeding, organ failure, and death if not detected and treated promptly. “Diagnosis is through confirmatory molecular test positive of Ebola virus,” he explained, while confirming that effective vaccines for Ebola do exist.
In another controversial disclosure, Dr. Nyan alleged that Ebola vaccines previously supplied to Liberia through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance expired while under the control of the Ministry of Health before he assumed leadership at NPHIL.
“Ebola vaccines were sent to Liberia before 2024 by an organization called GAVI before I took over the NPHIL, but the vaccines expired in the hands of the MoH and had to be discarded,” he revealed.
As Liberia closely monitors developments in DR Congo and Uganda through regional surveillance mechanisms coordinated by the West African Health Organization and Africa-CDC Western Region, Dr. Nyan concluded with a warning against corruption and exploitation during public health emergencies.
“Very important: We must beware of corrupt officials using outbreaks to fill their pockets at the expense of donor funding and the health of the people,” he cautioned, while again reassuring Liberians that there is presently no Ebola outbreak in the country.
“Again to this date, you can rest assured that there is No Ebola detected in Liberia, but the country remains vigilant. Be Calm, No Panic!” Dr. Nyan reiterated.
