One year ago, Liberia took a bold step by placing young people at the center of its malaria response. On December 5, 2024, the Liberia Malaria Youth Corps (LMYC) was officially launched in Monrovia, making Liberia the 14th African country to establish a Malaria Youth Corps under the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA). Today, as we mark one year of impact, we celebrate a youth-led movement that is changing how communities understand, prevent, and respond to malaria.
Over the past year, the Liberia Malaria Youth Corps has grown into a strong and credible force for community action. Led locally by Remote Health Reach (RHR) in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), LMYC has mobilized over 139 young people as malaria champions across five counties—Montserrado, Nimba, Bong, Grand Bassa, and Margibi. These young leaders come from diverse backgrounds but share one common goal: ending malaria in Liberia by 2030.
Through community outreach, social and behavior change communication (SBCC), school engagement, and peer-to-peer education, LMYC reached over 100,000 people in 2025 alone with life-saving malaria prevention and treatment messages. Youth volunteers engaged households, markets, schools, churches, and informal settlements, helping communities understand the importance of early testing, prompt treatment, consistent use of insecticide-treated nets, and acceptance of new malaria tools, including the malaria vaccine.
One of the defining strengths of LMYC is its ability to reach people where they live. In 2025, youth-led SBCC campaigns were conducted in high-risk urban slum communities such as West Point, Logan Town, Clara Town, Soniwein, King Gray, and Redlight, as well as rural communities in Nimba and Bong Counties. These efforts helped address myths, reduce misinformation, and build trust through respectful, culturally sensitive dialogue.
Beyond community outreach, LMYC invested in schools and young people as long-term change agents. Three Malaria and NTD Clubs were established in high schools in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, while the “Quiz for Malaria” Inter-High School Competition in Margibi County blended education with public health awareness. These initiatives showed that malaria education can be engaging, competitive, and empowering when youth are involved.
LMYC also strengthened youth leadership and accountability. Members participated in virtual training on the ALMA Scorecard for Accountability, building skills in data use, monitoring, and action planning. Female members benefited from a two-day Female Leadership Training, enhancing their confidence and capacity to lead malaria and health advocacy efforts. Through national and cross-Africa virtual engagements, LMYC youth connected with other Malaria Youth Corps across the continent, reinforcing solidarity and shared learning.
Importantly, LMYC demonstrated that youth are reliable partners in large-scale public health interventions. During the 11-day malaria vaccine SBCC campaign supported by PMI REACH, LMYC deployed 80 mobilizers daily, conducted community dialogues, supported rumor tracking, and worked alongside national and county monitors to ensure quality and accountability. This experience reinforced a clear lesson: when youth are empowered, guided, and trusted, they deliver results.
The journey has not been without challenges. Limited funding affected the scale and speed of implementation, and uneven membership distribution placed pressure on a few counties. However, these challenges also produced valuable lessons—highlighting the need for stronger county-level recruitment, flexible youth engagement models, and sustained investment in youth capacity building.
As we mark this one-year milestone, we celebrate the commitment, resilience, and courage of every young person who chose to serve their community. We recognize the leadership of NMCP, the support of ALMA, partners, county health teams, community leaders, and families who made this work possible.
The Liberia Malaria Youth Corps is more than a campaign. It is a growing movement that proves youth are not just beneficiaries of health programs—they are leaders, partners, and drivers of change. As we look to 2026 and beyond, LMYC remains committed to expanding its reach, strengthening youth leadership, and supporting Liberia’s national goal of zero malaria cases by 2030.
Together, we are transforming communities, building future leaders, and moving Liberia closer to a malaria-free future—because Zero Malaria Starts With Me.