China Commits US$3M to Child Nutrition Project | News

China has committed US$3 million to a new child nutrition and health initiative in Liberia, joining UNICEF and the Government of Liberia in a 24-month effort aimed at reducing malnutrition, strengthening neonatal care, and saving the lives of newborns and young children in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities.

The project, officially titled “Enhancing Child Nutrition in Liberia’s First 1,000 Days through Health and Nutrition Services,” was launched on Friday, July 3, 2026, and is designed to improve maternal and child nutrition, expand access to life-saving nutrition commodities, strengthen neonatal healthcare, and improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in targeted counties where child malnutrition and newborn mortality remain among Liberia’s most pressing public health challenges.

Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, Yin Chengwu announced that the Government of the People’s Republic of China would provide US$3 million to support the initiative through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund.

According to Ambassador Yin, the project will finance neonatal care equipment, therapeutic foods, micronutrient supplements, essential medicines, healthcare worker training, clinical guidance on childhood diseases, and breastfeeding promotion.

“China sincerely hopes to see faster development in Liberia and a better life for the Liberian people,” he said.

The ambassador said the initiative also reflects China’s commitment to South-South cooperation and multilateral partnerships with organizations such as UNICEF to improve children’s welfare globally. 

He reaffirmed China’s support for Liberia’s sustainable development agenda and said the partnership would further strengthen bilateral relations through investments in health, education, infrastructure, and capacity building.

Also speaking at the launch, UNICEF Liberia Country Representative Andrew Brooks said the project responds to a life-and-death emergency that cannot be ignored.

“This is not a very abstract or theoretical thing we’re here for today,” Brooks said. “Children are dying. Children are dying in this country and they don’t need to die. They’re dying from preventable reasons.”

Brooks commended the Government of Liberia for commissioning and publicly releasing the country’s Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey instead of concealing the findings, saying the decision showed a willingness to confront the crisis openly and work toward solutions.

He noted that Liberia has made progress in reducing chronic malnutrition, with child stunting declining from about 30 percent in 2018-2019 to 26 percent, but said acute malnutrition remains a serious concern. According to him, 8.3 percent of Liberian children suffer from wasting, a severe form of acute malnutrition that requires urgent intervention.

Brooks also recounted painful experiences from visits to health facilities, including Foya Hospital, where severely malnourished children needed therapeutic nutrition supplies that had to be sourced from another county because the hospital had run out of stock.

He further recalled photographs taken during the national nutrition survey that prompted Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung to ask officials to locate several visibly malnourished children.

“When officials followed up,” Brooks said, “two of those children had already died.”

He said China’s contribution would directly help save children’s lives by providing hospitals and clinics with essential equipment, therapeutic foods, and nutritional supplies that are often unavailable.

“The government did not try to keep the findings under the carpet,” Brooks said. “We put them on the table, we work together, and we look at how to address them. This project is going to be a significant part of that.”

Brooks stressed that nutrition cannot be separated from maternal health, newborn care, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, adding that the implementation of the project will determine its success.

“The implementation is what will make the difference,” he said. “We are committed to working closely together to ensure this project reaches the children who need it most.”

Representing Health Minister Dr. Louise Kpoto, Assistant Minister for Preventive Services Dr. Cuallau Jabbeh Howe described malnutrition as a national public health emergency affecting virtually every household in Liberia.

She said malnutrition contributes to stunting, wasting, underweight conditions, and micronutrient deficiencies among children, largely driven by poor dietary diversity, food insecurity, and poverty.

“In Liberia, we eat a lot of rice,” she observed. “We have deprived ourselves of vegetables and other foods that provide balanced nutrition. We do not have balanced diets for our children.”

Dr. Howe said the Ministry of Health has strengthened screening and treatment for malnutrition across health facilities despite limited resources and continues working to improve accountability and service delivery.

She also revealed that Liberia is beginning to transition toward producing locally manufactured nutritional supplements instead of depending entirely on imported products supplied by UNICEF.

“It might be rudimentary, but we have to start somewhere,” she said. “We are taking ownership by using local produce to manufacture nutritional foods for our children.”

She reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring the project’s successful implementation and said the initiative would help reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths linked to malnutrition.

Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister for International Cooperation and Economic Integration Dr. Ibrahim Nyei welcomed the partnership, describing it as a successful example of triangular cooperation involving Liberia, China, and UNICEF.

He disclosed that negotiations for the project lasted approximately 18 months before the agreement was finalized.

Dr. Nyei said the initiative aligns with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST Agenda and Liberia’s Vision 2030 by investing in children’s health, nutrition, education, and long-term human capital development.

He urged all implementing partners to begin executing the project immediately following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.

Providing an overview of the initiative, UNICEF Health and Nutrition Specialist Evans Lablah explained that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life—from conception to the second birthday—represent the most critical period for brain development and long-term health.

Approximately 80 percent of brain development occurs during this period, making timely nutrition interventions essential for healthy physical and cognitive growth, he said.

Lablah said Liberia continues to face alarming nutrition challenges. According to the latest Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Survey, 26 percent of children under five are stunted, 8.5 percent suffer acute malnutrition, and 2.7 percent experience severe wasting.

Only 2.4 percent of children receive a minimum acceptable diet, while just 12 percent consume sufficiently diverse foods. Exclusive breastfeeding stands at 55 percent, well below the internationally recommended minimum of 70 percent.

The survey also found that 20 percent of households are food insecure, 32 percent experience moderate or severe hunger, and nearly 39 percent have poor or borderline food consumption.

Meanwhile, 27 percent of households still practice open defecation, and only 35 percent have handwashing facilities equipped with both soap and water.

Lablah said the project will initially target three high-burden counties over a 24-month period, directly benefiting approximately 83,000 pregnant women, adolescent girls, infants, young children, and households.

The initiative aims to increase exclusive breastfeeding from 55 percent to 60 percent, strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare services in 80 health facilities, equip neonatal intensive care units, improve emergency obstetric services, train healthcare workers, procure therapeutic foods and micronutrient supplements, and integrate nutrition interventions with improved water, sanitation, hygiene, and community behavior change programs.

Nearly 41 percent of the project’s budget has been allocated to purchasing life-saving medical equipment and nutrition commodities, reflecting the urgent need to eliminate shortages that continue to place vulnerable children at risk.