Liberia: Country Investment Fund and the production of National Priority Assistive Products List and National Roadmap to Increase Access to AT

Under the AT2030 programme and with the support of ATscale and the Country Investment Fund (CIF), the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) was the lead technical partner to the Liberia Ministry of Health in the development and validation of two major national documents for access to assistive technologies: National Roadmap to Increase Access to Assistive Technologies (2021-2023) and Liberia National Priority Assistive Products List (APL), First Edition. The development of these documents will pave the way in ensuring Assistive Technology can be accessed by disabled and older people living in Liberia.  

National Roadmap to Increase Access to Assistive Technologies (2021-2023) - read report

The National Roadmap to Increase Access to Assistive Technologies was developed in response to gaps identified from an AT country capacity assessment (ATA-C) conducted in 2019 with support from AT2030, and builds upon recommendations from stakeholders following the ATA-C. The development involved numerous consultations with key stakeholders; organizations of persons with disabilities (OPWDs), government stakeholders, development partners, and public and private sector service providers. Findings include prioritized activities across six thematic areas:  

• Leadership and governance 
•  Service delivery
• Assistive products and procurement
• AT workforce
• Data
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Financing and sustainability. 
  

This Roadmap operationalizes the visions that have been outlined in broader national policies and sets a clear plan to guide and coordinate national efforts in AT. It further supports the Government of Liberia in its advocacy and resource mobilization efforts. Validation of this Roadmap is a crucial step towards realizing the Government of Liberia’s commitment to increase access to quality assistive technology at an affordable cost, and will ultimately increase community and economic participation for all persons with disabilities, enabling the realization of human rights. 

Liberia National Priority Assistive Products List (APL), First Edition - read report

Its validation is evidence of the government’s commitment to increasing access to AT through strengthening governance and coordination in the sector.  

Development of the Liberia National Priority APL was made possible by strong collaboration and in-depth consultation between government and non-government partners and stakeholders, including Liberia’s organizations of people with disabilities (OPWDs) who shared their lived experiences and meaningful inputs throughout the process, and is the product of valuable contributions from members of the government’s AT Technical Working Group.  

The APL is intended to focus and prioritize resources and efforts toward products that are the most impactful and context-relevant to the country. Moving forward, the APL will guide the AT sector in product procurement and donation, service provider training, development of technical standards and service delivery guidelines, and broader advocacy and resource mobilization efforts.