Liberia Respiratory Care Institute

Respiratory failure presides as the leading cause of death in Liberia and the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide.  Our co-founder, Mike Davis, recognized the need for respiratory care in Liberia on his first visit in 2011.  Mike initially used his training as a respiratory care Practitioner/Respiratory Therapist (RT) at hospitals in clinics when he began working in Liberia in 2011.  In 2012, he partnered with the only RT in Liberia, Joseph Moore, with the intent of opening an RT training program in Liberia.  By July of that year they opened Liberia Respiratory Care Institute (LRCI), the first school of respiratory therapy in Africa.  They also worked with the Liberian Medical and Dental Council (LMDC) to create an RT license thus facilitating national recognition of the profession.  

The LRCI educates using a didactic teaching method and curriculum based upon the National Board of Respiratory Care and the clinical guidelines of the American Association for Respiratory Care.  Graduates receive an associate degree and are board-eligible for the Respiratory Therapy License provided by the LBMD.  The charter class of the LRCI graduated in November of 2015, becoming the first class of respiratory therapists in Africa.  Via the LRCI, it is the mission of Partner Liberia to improve respiratory care and decrease mortality across all age groups in Liberia.