MONROVIA – A groundbreaking ceremony on Duport Road has marked a new chapter in Liberia’s maternal healthcare story. First Lady Kartumu Y. Boakai, Liberia’s Maternal and Neonatal Health Champion, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have jointly launched construction of a 100-bed modern maternity hospital. The facility will include a neonatal intensive care unit, delivery suites, laboratories, and surgical theaters. Health Minister Dr. Louise M. Kpoto described it as the most important project under her stewardship. The current Duport Road Health Center already records more than 200 deliveries monthly, underscoring the urgent need. As THE ANALYST reports, the project is the flagship humanitarian contribution of the Church ahead of the Strengthening Families Conference 2026 in Monrovia.
A significant milestone in Liberia’s drive to improve maternal and newborn healthcare was recorded on Thursday when the Government of Liberia, in collaboration with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, officially broke grounds for the construction of a 100-bed modern maternity hospital on Duport Road. The new facility is expected to become one of the country’s most advanced maternal health centers, featuring more than 100 beds, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), fully equipped delivery suites, laboratories, and surgical operating theaters. Once completed, it will serve thousands of residents in the rapidly growing Duport Road corridor while easing congestion at major referral hospitals in Monrovia.
The Duport Road Health Center, where the hospital is being constructed, has evolved over the years from a modest clinic into a high-volume facility now recording more than 200 deliveries monthly — underscoring the urgent need for expanded infrastructure.
The groundbreaking ceremony drew senior government officials, lawmakers, health professionals, development partners, church leaders, and community residents, who described the initiative as a transformative investment in Liberia’s maternal healthcare system.
The project is the flagship humanitarian contribution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ahead of the upcoming Strengthening Families Conference 2026, which opens in Monrovia. The conference — now in its eighth edition and hosted in Liberia for the first time — has previously been held in countries such as Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone.
First Lady Calls It Defining Moment
Speaking at the ceremony, First Lady Kartumu Y. Boakai, who also serves as Liberia’s Maternal and Neonatal Health Champion, described the groundbreaking as a defining moment in the country’s health transformation agenda.
She said the initiative stemmed from her early visits to the Duport Road Health Center, where she observed urgent gaps in maternal healthcare delivery that required immediate intervention. “Today transcends a groundbreaking ceremony,” she said. “What once represented hope is now becoming a symbol of transformation.”
She emphasized that investments in maternal health directly translate into stronger families and national development.
“When we invest in maternal health care, we are strengthening the future of our nation,” she added. The First Lady further noted that true faith is demonstrated through action and service.
“True faith gives. True faith builds. True faith transforms,” she stated. She concluded with a message of hope: “May this hospital stand as a beacon of healing. May every mother who enters its doors find safety.”
Kpoto Calls It Her Top Priority
Health Minister Dr. Louise M. Kpoto, an obstetrician-gynecologist, described the project as one of the most important healthcare developments under her stewardship. She said she is particularly eager to see its completion as part of broader efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality across Liberia.
“If there is one project I could complete before my tenure is over, it is this Duport Road Maternal Center,” she said.
She linked the initiative to the Ministry of Health’s ongoing 365-Day Health Initiative and credited the First Lady for consistently highlighting the need for improvements at the facility.
Church, Government, Community Join Hands
Representing President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Senior Presidential Advisor Prof. Dr. Augustine Konneh praised the collaboration between government and the Church, calling it a model for national development partnerships.
He stressed that protecting mothers and newborns is both a governance priority and a moral obligation. “Maternal and newborn protection is a governance imperative and a moral duty,” he said.
On behalf of the Church, Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran of the Africa West Area Presidency said the hospital reflects the humanitarian mission of the Church to improve lives and strengthen communities.
“Today we break ground, but more importantly, we plant hope,” he said. He urged community ownership of the project, emphasizing the importance of protecting and maintaining the facility once completed. Bong County District Two Representative James Kolleh disclosed that the hospital forms part of a broader package of development projects funded by the Church across Liberia, including hospitals, clinics, and schools. Montserrado County Superintendent Rory Bryant also praised the initiative, noting that church members had contribut