Bernice Dahn | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Health of Liberia | |
| In office June 2015 –January 2018 | |
| President | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf |
| Preceded by | Walter Gwenigale |
| Succeeded by | Wilhelmina Jallah |
| Deputy Minister of Health and Chief Medical Officer,Liberia | |
| In office 2007–2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Liberian |
| Alma mater | University of Liberia (BSc,MD);University of Washington (MPH) |
| Profession | Physician,public health specialist,academic administrator |
Bernice T. Dahn is a Liberian physician,public health leader and academic administrator. She served as Deputy Minister of Health and Chief Medical Officer of Liberia between 2007 and 2015 and was appointed Minister of Health in June 2015,serving until early 2018. Since 2018 she has held senior leadership positions at the University of Liberia College of Health Sciences,including Vice President for Health Sciences. Her work has focused on rebuilding Liberia's health system after civil conflict and the Ebola epidemic,expanding community health services,and strengthening the health workforce. [1] [2]
Dahn earned a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Liberia. She later received a Master of Public Health in Health Services from the University of Washington in 2005. [1] [2]
She also completed training certificates in reproductive health,international health,and health management from regional and international institutions. [1]
Before joining the Ministry of Health,Dahn worked in family health,reproductive health,and nutrition programs in Liberia. She also served as a reproductive health adviser with the United Nations Population Fund. [1]
Between 2007 and 2015 Dahn served as Deputy Minister of Health and Chief Medical Officer. In this role she coordinated national health programs,oversaw disease prevention and maternal and child health policies,and worked with international partners to rebuild services after Liberia's civil conflict. [2]
In June 2015 President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed Dahn Minister of Health. [3] She took office during the recovery from the 2014–2016 Ebola virus epidemic. As minister she led reforms in infection prevention and control,restoration of routine health services,and implementation of the National Community Health Services Policy in 2016,which established a standardized Community Health Assistant program. [4]
Dahn also oversaw the development of Liberia's first Health Workforce Program Strategy,designed to expand the number and capacity of health workers. [5] She left the ministry in January 2018 following the end of Sirleaf's administration. [6]
After leaving government,Dahn joined the University of Liberia College of Health Sciences. She became Vice President for Health Sciences,where she has overseen reforms in academic programs,establishment of new schools including public health and midwifery,and strengthening of research and grant administration systems. [1] She is a frequent speaker at international forums on Ebola,workforce development,and health systems resilience. [7]
Dahn has been profiled by the University of Washington School of Public Health as an alumna making global impact. [2] In 2016 she was recognized during global workforce awards events for her role in Liberia's health recovery. [9]