{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T17:26:07Z","timestamp":1790270767198,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":7,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777939200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>This country profile examines the development of family medicine (FM) and primary health care (PHC) in Liberia, a low-income West African nation with significant health and socioeconomic challenges. Liberia\u2019s PHC system is structured across three tiers and relies heavily on community health workers to serve dispersed and underserved populations. Family medicine is an emerging specialty, crucial for strengthening PHC and advancing universal health coverage, especially in rural areas facing workforce shortages. The Family Medicine Specialty Training Program, launched in 2017, addresses the deficit of rural healthcare providers through comprehensive, context-specific education and rural rotations. Family physicians contribute at multiple levels of the health system, providing clinical care, mentorship, and leadership. The Society of Family Physicians of Liberia supports professional development and advocacy. Despite ongoing challenges, Liberia\u2019s integration of FM and PHC, supported by national and international partnerships, demonstrates significant progress and offers valuable lessons for building resilient health systems in low-resource settings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/phcfm.v18i1.5402","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T08:31:27Z","timestamp":1777537887000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Family medicine and primary health care in Liberia"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6113-0851","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David","family":"Okiror","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/0440cy367","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Liberia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5962-5732","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ibrahim","family":"Sanoe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Society of Family Physicians of Liberia, Department of Health Education and Delivery, Monrova, Liberia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Country cooperation strategy 2022-2026 Liberia [homepage on the Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 Dec 20]. Available from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/9789290314073"},{"key":"ref1","unstructured":"Republic of Liberia Ministry of Health. Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS-II) [homepage on the Internet]. 2022 [cited 2025 Dec 20]. Available from: https:\/\/files.aho.afro.who.int\/afahobckpcontainer\/production\/files\/EPHS_II_Post_Validation11222022_Final_Need_CMO_Signature.pdf"},{"key":"ref2","unstructured":"Shutterstock. Map of Liberia. [homepage on the Internet]. [cited 2025 Dec 12]. Available from: https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-vector\/liberia-map-vector-vintage-dark-blue-2553841999"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sanoe I, Beyan-Davis K, Anyango S, et al. The role of family medicine training in addressing workforce challenges in rural Liberia \u2013 Early implementation experience. Ann Glob Health. 2021;87(1):96. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5334\/aogh.3249","DOI":"10.5334\/aogh.3249"},{"key":"ref4","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Liberia country profile [homepage on the Internet]. [cited 2025 Dec 12]. Available from: https:\/\/www.who.int\/countries\/lbr\/"},{"key":"ref5","unstructured":"Partners in Health Liberia. Family medicine program overview [homepage on the Internet]. [cited 2025 Dec 12]. Available from: https:\/\/www.pih.org\/article\/family-medicine-program-cultivates-patient-centered-doctors-liberia"},{"key":"ref6","unstructured":"Global Family Medicine \u2013 Liberia. [cited 2025 Dec 12]. Available from: https:\/\/globalfamilymedicine.org\/liberia"}],"container-title":["African Journal of Primary Health Care &amp; Family Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/phcfm.org\/index.php\/phcfm\/article\/view\/5402\/9255","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T08:31:37Z","timestamp":1777537897000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/phcfm.org\/index.php\/phcfm\/article\/view\/5402"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]]},"references-count":7,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/phcfm.v18i1.5402","relation":{},"ISSN":["2071-2928","2071-2936"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2071-2928","type":"print"},{"value":"2071-2936","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]]},"article-number":"a5402"}}