e) The Ministry of Justice, Judiciary, UN agencies and NGOs have been actively engaged in disseminating the
amendments of the Penal Code and creating awareness and building capacity among all concerned actors
regarding its application.
15. In addition, States Parties are requested to provide information on the numbers of children per year
within the reporting period in each of the following groups, desegregated by age group, sex, ethnic or
national background and rural or urban environment: homeless children, abused or neglected children
taken into protective custody, children placed in foster care, children placed in institutional care,
children placed through domestic adoption, children entering the country through inter-country
adoption procedures and children leaving the country through inter-country adoption procedures.
Since September 2009, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, with support from UNICEF and USAID, has
been implementing a programme aimed at the deinstitutionalization of children and promotion of family care.
3,637 (1,918 boys and 1,719 girls) are currently living in 88 functional orphanages. This is a decrease from
5,000 children estimated to be in institutional care by the June 2008 inter-agency monitoring report. Since 2009,
637 non-orphans (366 boys and 271 girls) living in orphanages have been reunified with families or relatives.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is conducting follow up visits to confirm that children are back and
living with their families. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, with support from UNICEF, has also
established a National Management Information System data base for alternative care
16. States Parties are encouraged to provide additional relevant statistical information and indicators
relating to children covered in this section.
VII. HEALTH AND WELFARE
17. Under this section, States Parties are requested to provide relevant information, including the
principal legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures particularly programmes and projects,
etc.; the institutional infrastructure for implementing policy in this area, particularly monitoring
strategies and mechanisms; factors and difficulties encountered and progress achieved in implementing
the relevant provisions of the Children's Charter, in respect of:
a) Survival and development (Article 5)
Article III of the Children‟s Law states,” Every child shall have right to life”
Liberia has made noticeable progress in reducing child mortality, passing from 227 deaths per 1,000 living
births in 1990 to 103 deaths for 1000 living births in 2010. Maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) was
successfully eliminated. MNT elimination activities took place in Liberia over three years (2006 to 2008) and a
total of 850,000 women of child bearing age were targeted in this endeavor. No polio cases were reported
in2011. The immunization coverage increased to 77% in 2011 compared to 39% (as measured by DTP3/Penta3)
in 2007 and measles and pentavalent coverage as consistently maintained above 90%.
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