A certain sound of the drum indicated that something awful had happened. The infected patients were primarily between ages 15-29. The report also indicated that there was a 20 percent increase over a two-month period. For a nation that is currently recovering from a devastating seven-year civil war, and a government that cannot provide the most basic health needs of its people, the news is devastating, but not unexpected. The seven-year civil war had all the ingredients for this health nightmare.
Thousands are currently addicted.
The response of the Liberian Government to the current health crisis is loaded with half-measures. This is another war that will claim the lives of thousands of our people. In 1998, it is reported that 1.5 million people died from the disease. Liberia has joined the fray. Symbolically, the goal of testing all Liberians should begin with the testing of all government officials, starting with the President, the Cabinet, Judges, and Legislators.