FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Liberia has assumed the presidency of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP), a milestone that highlights the country’s growing leadership in regional pharmaceutical education and healthcare policy.
The announcement was made during the 37th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Symposium of WAPCP, held April 7–10 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The development also marks a symbolic return to prominence for Liberia, where the organization—then known as the West African Pharmaceutical Federation—was founded in October 1976.
Professor Hasipha C. Tarpeh, head of the Liberian chapter of WAPCP and a clinical pharmacy professor at the University of Liberia’s College of Health Sciences, was elected president of the regional body for a two-year term. He received overwhelming support from member states for his leadership platform, which includes expanding pharmacy education, increasing research output, and advocating for stronger government support in training and deploying pharmacists across the subregion.
“This is a proud moment for Liberia,” Tarpeh said in his acceptance speech. “We are committed to building a strong, competent pharmacy workforce that can address today’s complex healthcare challenges.”
WAPCP, which has operated for nearly 50 years, promotes pharmaceutical excellence across West Africa. The body offers specialized postgraduate programs in clinical pharmacy, community pharmacy, drug production and quality assurance, public health pharmacy, and social and administrative pharmacy. Its mission includes harmonizing regional standards, enhancing regulatory frameworks, and supporting the continuing professional development of pharmacists.
Also at the symposium, Liberia recorded another milestone: Pharmacist Joseph S. Quoi became the first Liberian to earn a Fellowship in Mental and Behavioral Health under the WAPCP program. His achievement comes as Liberia grapples with a growing drug and substance abuse crisis, which President Joseph Nyumah Boakai Sr. recently declared a national public health emergency.
In recognition of these achievements, the Liberian chapter of WAPCP announced plans to host a national luncheon and awards ceremony to honor its new leadership and local pharmacists who have excelled. Details of the event will be announced in the coming weeks, according to chapter officials.
A statement from the organization emphasized that Liberia’s ascension to the presidency not only reaffirms its historical connection to WAPCP but also underscores the country’s evolving role in shaping pharmacy education, healthcare delivery, and drug policy reform in West Africa.
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