By Bill W. Cooper
Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Francis Kateh has alarmed over the high consumption of alcoholic beverages by both the young and older generations across the country.
Dr. Kateh has stressed that the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages in the country seems to be getting out of proportion and imagination, emphasizing, “The worst of it is that we are not even doing regular testing of those alcoholic beverages on the market.”
He maintained, “More frustratingly, the consumption of the un-tested alcoholic beverages are also causing the high risk of increase in hereditist as well as the increase in the number of deaths among the younger and older generation in Liberia.”
Dr. Kateh was speaking over the weekend, at a program marking the official launching and opening of the Law Students Association (LAWSA) Health Space at the premises of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law on the ground of the University of Liberia in Monrovia.
The LAWSA Health Space which is a new student’s initiative is aimed at promoting health and wellbeing amongst the students of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law and the University of Liberia.
He stated further that the Health Space will also ensure the provision of wide range of basic Health checks which include blood pressure, sugar and screening, weight and height including educational resources and referral to other relevant healthcare providers.
According to him, health is very critical to human existence and as such, the need for the creation of a platform where all Liberians can talk and find solution to emerging health crisis in the county can never be overemphasized.
He added, “Because Liberia is one of the easiest countries where we all can change the health indicator in a very short time on grounds that the population size is not that very much, the citizens only need to trust you and if they do, they will listen to you and I think some of the health practitioners have built that trust.”
Earlier, the president of LAWSA, Williamina Budy expressed her joy and happiness over the opening of the health space which she said will immensely help the health need of the student-body of both the law school and the students of Mass Communication at the University of Liberia.
She added that the decision by her leadership to open the health space on the campus was based on the fact that Health is wealth and once a human is healthy, his/her chances of long life is sure as well as ensuring that students have a place to rest once feeling stressful and feverish.
She then thanked the Law School Dean and the Health team at the University of Liberia including the Ministry of Health as well as other Civil Society groups involved with health activities for the collaboration in making her leadership dream come true for opening of the space.
