Where Childbirth Can Mean Death, Activists Say Land Rights Need a Reset, the Malaria Vaccine Arrives and Trash Services are Non-existent in Rural Areas

Liberia: Democracy in Focus

Looking at Liberia’s newsmedia, one might think that no one lives outside the capital, Monrovia. But rural Liberians face a range of hardships that don’t get any coverage.

We devote this episode to bringing those issues to light.

We visit a maternity clinic where giving birth means risking death.

Six years since the Land Rights Act was passed just 16 communities have received land title. Experts say it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

A malaria vaccine finally rolls out across the country – promising to save the lives of thousands of children.

The trash crisis is bad in Monrovia and Paynesville but in rural areas things can be even worse.

And finally, experts say the number of women drug users in rural areas is growing with terrible consequences for their children and families.

You’re listing to Democracy in Focus.

Funding for this podcast comes from the Swedish embassy in Liberia and the American Jewish World Service. See more of our collaborations with media in West Africa at www.newnarratives.org