Anneliese Dodds met with a delegation of Liberian parliamentarians yesterday at her constituency office in East Oxford. Anneliese enjoyed sharing her experiences of being a constituency MP in the UK, and discussing the common challenges faced by parliamentarians in both countries.

Liberia is in the process of rebuilding after a decade of civil war (1989-2003), and the recent devastating outbreak of the Ebola virus in 2014-15, which killed 4,810 people in Liberia.

With 1,072 maternal deaths for every 100,000 births, according to UNICEF, Liberia’s maternal mortality rate remains among the highest in the world. The UN is supporting schemes to improve access to maternal health services and to tackle the practice of female genital cutting, or FGM.

Health and sanitation was therefore be a key topic of discussion between the Liberian parliamentarians and the Oxford East MP, as well as education, gender equity, and infrastructure development.

Anneliese says: “I am delighted to be welcoming the Liberian parliamentarians to Oxford, and to hear how they are responding to the enormous health and infrastructure challenges left in the aftermath of Ebola.

I hope that this UK visit will help deepen the ties between our two countries.”

This meeting is part of a week-long programme of events put on by the British Group of the Inter-Parliament Union to foster strong parliamentary links between the UK and Liberia.

While in Oxford, the delegates will also be visiting the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford and taking a tour of Christ Church.