As part of its commitment to build the next generation of health care providers and expand specialized care, Partners In Health Liberia (PIH-L) has officially handed over two newly trained cardiology fellows to the Ministry of Health. Dr. Angeline K. Borbor and Dr. Emmanuel Gbee completed a three-year advanced training program in both adult and pediatric cardiology at the Uganda Heart Institute in Mulago Hill, Uganda, with support from PIH-L. This milestone marks a significant step toward expanding specialized cardiac care in Liberia by equipping local physicians with the critical expertise needed to serve patients and strengthen the country’s cardiovascular treatment capacity.
At a handover ceremony at the Ministry of Health, J. Wilfred Zeon, PIH-L Deputy Executive Director of Administration and Systems, said the handover of the two cardiologists marks a crucial turning point in Liberia’s journey toward specialized cardiac care. He emphasized that investing in people is the most sustainable approach to strengthening health systems.
Dr. Emmanuel Gbee Jr. is one of the two cardiologists assigned to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital. He recently completed his training at the Uganda Heart Institute, supported by Partners In Health Liberia in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Photo by Aminata K. Massaley/PIH-L.
“I am grateful to PIH and the Ministry of Health for this opportunity,” Dr. Gbee shared.
He said the ceremony marks the end of a long road toward bridging the gap in Liberia’s high burden of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Gbee and Dr. Borbor are expected to be officially assigned to the cardiology unit at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, where they have already been contributing their expertise since their return.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant and growing public health burden in Liberia, accounting for a substantial percentage of deaths and disease burden. In 2016, NCDs were responsible for an estimated 43% of all deaths and 37.9% of the national disease burden (Disability-Adjusted Life Years or DALYs). By 2019, NCDs caused an estimated 32% of all deaths. The age-standardized mortality rate across four major NCDs (Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Respiratory Disease, Cancer, and Diabetes) was 533 per 100,000 in males and 545 in females in 2021, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), Country Disease Outlook, 2023.
Dr. Borbor and Dr. Gbee are now Liberia’s only two local cardiology fellows. This is an investment in building local human capital.
Dr. Borbor also expressed her appreciation to PIH-L and the Ministry of Health for their support of her educational journey. She urged the Government and its partners to foster future research collaborations, as much remains to be done to improve cardiovascular care for all in Liberia.
Dr. Catherine Thomas Cooper, Deputy Minister and Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health, stated,
“To train the health workforce is a sustainable way of ensuring that we have health care for many years.”
Dr. Cooper praised PIH for its investment in the country’s health workforce, referring to it as the “lifeline of the country.” She assured both cardiologists that the ministry will collaborate with partners to ensure that the cardiac unit at the John F. Kennedy Hospital is well-equipped to provide effective services, stressing that the “Government and the Ministry prioritize cardiovascular care.”
The return of the two cardiologists marks an important step toward expanding specialized cardiac services in Liberia and strengthening the country’s capacity to manage non-communicable diseases.
