Monrovia, Liberia – The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), through its Director General Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, has assured the public that all information coming from NPHIL regarding the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Pathogens (VHF), including the Ebola and Marburg viruses, is accurate and reliable.
This comes days after NPHIL responded to a press release from the Ministry of Health (MoH). The NPHIL also stated that it is the entity’s responsibility to respond to public health threats, and that other entities’ responses are outside of their jurisdiction.
Concerns were raised by the Ministry of Health’s recent announcement that a deceased person had been examined for hemorrhagic fever infections. NPHIL responded by stating that the Ministry of Health’s information should not be taken seriously because its public reports are founded on scientific facts and validated test results.
Speaking to media at NPHIL’s headquarters in Congo Town on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Dr. Nyan emphasized that the institution’s responsibility is to keep Liberians safe and informed by providing timely, transparent, and reliable health updates.
He further urged the public to remain calm and rely on NPHIL for an official health channel for credible information rather than speculations. Dr. Nyan claimed that after the Ministry of Health delivered the news, the team at the institution took action by taking bodily samples to test for Ebola and other illnesses, but they were unable to uncover any signs of the virus.
“The results for the patient were negative for Ebola, Lassa and other VHFs. The second extensive test on the same samples and another set of samples in Nimba County yielded negative results,” he added.
Dr. Nyan added that the second test particularly looked for Ebola subtypes and found none, which further supported the negative result. In light of the ongoing measles, Lassa fever, and mpox epidemics, the head of NPHIL has urged the public to abide by public health protocols.
He said the National Public Health Institute is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations to guarantee accountability and openness.
According to Dr. Nyan, it is the institute’s responsibility to verify or disprove material and inform the public of accurate findings. He narrated that NPHIL has build strong laboratory capacity to detect and respond to public health threats, as demonstrated by recent discoveries of mpox subtypes.
