MONROVIA, February 25 (LINA) – Liberia and the World Bank Group in partnership with Japan on Wednesday launched a US$3 million project to address the psychological effects of Liberia’s Ebola crisis and to promote psychosocial health.
The project, Supporting Psychosocial Health and Resilience in Liberia, is funded by Japan through the Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF), a trust fund administered by the World Bank.
According to a World Bank press statement, the Carter Center will implement the three-year project which is expected to benefit about 18,000 persons in Montserrado, which hosts the capital Monrovia, and Margibi counties.
In remarks at the launch in Monrovia, World Bank Liberia Country Manager Inguna Dobraja said: “the Psychosocial Health and Resilience project will respond to the most urgent psychosocial and mental health needs of the Ebola crisis, and will contribute to building psychosocial resilience at the individual and community level.”
“I want to thank the Government of Japan and the World Bank for their support to help ease the psychosocial impact of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia,” said Dr. Bernice Dahn, Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Minister of Health.
Also making remarks at the ceremony, the Ambassador of Japan in Liberia, Kaoru Yoshimura, underscored his government’s continuing commitment in responding to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia.
The JSDF was established in 2000 by the Government of Japan and the World Bank as a mechanism to provide direct assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in eligible World Bank countries.
LINA