Interview with Walter T. Gwenigale

• Published in: International review of the Red Cross (2005) 2013-03, Vol.95 (889), p.13-21
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1816-3831; 1607-5889
• DOI: 10.1017/S1816383114000022

To open this issue on ‘Violence against Health Care’, the Review sought the perspective of a health-care professional who has worked in the context of an armed conflict. Dr Walter T. Gwenigale is the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Liberia. A practising surgeon for more than 30 years, including during the civil war, he has served as Bong County health officer, director of Phebe Hospital and president of the Christian Health Association of Liberia. He has also served on the World Health Organization's executive board and as a board member of the Roll Back Malaria campaign. In this interview, Minister Gwenigale explains how the armed conflict in Liberia impacted on the work of remotely-located Phebe hospital, on the needs of its patients and on the ability of the hospital staff to provide them with adequate medical care. He describes the main security challenges and the way in which the hospital staff attempted to address them. He also recalls instances in which the hospital staff and facilities were the direct target of this violence, sometimes leading to tragic consequences. In addition to the short-term impact of the armed conflict he witnessed as a doctor, Minister Gwenigale also reflects on the long-term effect of this conflict on the health system in Liberia today.