Langhorne, Pennsylvania, USA, – First Lady Kartumu Yarta Boakai wants the international community to support Liberia in addressing severe health challenges in the country.

Mrs. Boakai was speaking recently at a dinner dedicated to “Reframing Health Equity,” at the TUFH 2025 Global Health Conference in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, USA on Sunday. 
“We are recovering from the trauma of war and also from the echoing differences of systems too long neglected,” she stated.

“I have looked into the eyes of teenage mothers. I have comforted parents who lost children to preventable diseases,” she shared. “I asked myself: ‘How can we sit comfortably in our positions and pretend we don’t hear these cries?’ I could not.”

The Liberian First Lady also outlined a path forward built on partnership and compassion, announcing an ambitious four – million US Dollar Multi-Purpose Village project initiated by her Kartumu Yarta Boakai (KYB) Foundation.

The project would provide integrated services for maternal and child health, mental wellness, addiction recovery, and vocational training, with a specific focus on vulnerable women, youth, and individuals living with autism and special needs.

“We cannot build it alone,” she declared, directly appealing to the audience of global health leaders, NGOs, and philanthropists. “We need partners, builders, and believers. Help us make this Village a reality.”

The First Lady cited alarming mortality rates, amid tremendous efforts, but stressed the need for partnership with potential partners like the Mollie Woods Hare Global Center of Excellence.

“I did not come tonight only to tell Liberia’s story,” the First Lady said. “I came to ask you to become part of it.”

In response, the Chief Executive Officer of Woods System of Care, Tine Hansen-Turton, affirmed her commitment to supporting the First Lady’s initiatives in Liberia.