The Gambia News

Banjul, 17 May 2012 -- The WHO Country Office (WCO) yesterday briefed the Gambian delegation to the 65th World Health Assembly (WHA). “Such a briefing session is now a tradition of the WCO to prepare country delegates to this important global WHO governing body”, Dr Thomas Sukwa, WHO Representative (WR) to the Gambia, reiterated in welcoming delegates to the WCO.

Banjul, 14 May 2012 -- The last week of April 2012 witnessed two important health events in the Gambia. The first was World Malaria Day and the second, a sub-regional laboratory training workshop on pneumococcal surveillance and pediatric bacterial meningitis.

Banjul, 09 April 2012 -- During the past couple of weeks The Gambia had been actively engaged in a series of international health events – synchronized polio NIDs, World TB Day and World Health Day respectively. The first in the series was the successful conduct of National Immunization Days against polio (NIDs) from 23 to 26 March 2012.

Advocacy visit

The Gambia, a country in West Africa is preparing to introduce the New meningococcal Vaccine « MenAfriVac », by mid-november 2013. In preparation to this public health event, an advocacy mission was conducted in Banjul to meet with the national authorities and the stakeholders.

The African Region is still dominated by very high prevalence of communicable diseases as well as high maternal and infant mortality in weak and fragmented health systems thus facing significant health challenges in spite of the multitude of stakeholders active in health.

Banjul, 02 may 2013 -- The Gambia observed World Malaria Day with series of activities including a press briefing, official statements and public sensitization on the national radio and television and the official launch in the Central River Region by the Hon. Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Bala Garba Jahumpa.

Banjul, 14 august 2013 -- The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has, this afternoon, formally introduced the Rotavirus vaccine into the national immunization programme. This is the newest vaccine introduced into the national immunization programme and the eleventh since establishment of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in the late 1970s. It is also the third since 2009. Pneumococcal vaccine and the second dose of the measles vaccine were introduced in 2009 and 2012 respectively.

Banjul, 06 September 2012 -- The tenth edition of the African Traditional Medicines Day was planned, coordinated and commemorated by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the WHO Country Office and the national Traditional Healers Association of The Gambia (TRAHASS). It was launched at the Kanifing Municipal Council’s Grounds on Friday 31st August 2012.

Banjul, 18th June 2013 -- World Blood Donor Day which is commemorated on 14th June every year has been marked this year with a global campaign that focused on the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.

Blood transfusion is an important component of health care delivery as the threat to life due to insufficient blood stocks and the risk of transfusion-transmissible infections calls for safe and adequate blood supply for those in need.

“Using ICT to promote health in schools”

Banjul, Friday, 7 June 2013 -- The African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced the 10 winners of its first continent-wide eHealth competition for 2013. This award, according to information issued on AfDB website, recognizes the current work being done in e-health and m-health in Africa and aims at encouraging the production and sharing of knowledge on eHealth solutions.