Gambia Joins Senegal To Celebrate World Malaria Day

PHOTO Two Health Ministers. (Photo Credit Kebba Ansu Manneh)

By Ousman A. Marong

The government of Gambia through the Ministry of Health has on Sunday 5^th May 2019 joined their Senegalese counterpart to celebrate World Malaria Day.

The event was organized by National Malaria Control Program office with the funding from Global Fund the Gambia; USAIDS; Catholic Relief Services; Trust Bank; GTBank; etc. The Celebration marks the distribution of over 11 million lasting insecticide-treated bed nets to various communities within the two surrounding satellite villages of Senegal and Gambia. The event was jointly celebrated by the Gambia; Senegal and Guinea Conakry. The celebration was held at the Senegalese border 'Kerr Ayib' under the theme "Zero Malaria Starts with Me."

Dr. Ahmed Lamin Samateh Gambia’s Health Minister revealed that in 2018 the ministry of the Gambia and Senegal have signed a convention to foster collaboration in eliminating the Malaria virus across the sub-region. He said the Malaria initiative project was established strategically to harmonize and intervene in the virus.

He disclosed that research by MRC has indicated that there is a general decline in Malaria by 50 percent. He outlined that admission at hospitals and health facilities has also dropped up to 74 percent and death attributions to Malaria also dropped to 90 percent. He further revealed that the Malaria parasite prevalence has also dropped from 4.0 percent in 2011 to 0.2 percent in 2014.

"The Malaria prevalence has declined to 0.1 percent in 2017”, said Hon Minister Samateh.

In his part Abdoulie Joof Sarr the Senegalese Health Minister underscored his ministry's readiness to mount various campaigns and also distribute mosquito nets, adding “the fight against malaria is not yet over.”

He said these efforts could be the best way to prevent mosquito bites. He opined that environmental sanitation is still a challenge in most communities which are dotted with dirty drains behind houses, weedy compounds, and haphazard disposal of used tyres and plastic containers as well as stagnant waters behind the bathroom, amongst others. These he said are factors contributing to the Malaria virus. “We continue to build houses without any consideration for accessibility and fresh air circulation"; he stressed.

He referenced that The Medical Director of Health Service at GFG, reports that malaria scored 40 percent out Patients Department (OPD) attendance. He said children under five and pregnant women were mostly affected due to convulsions and preventable deaths.

He adduced that the only way to achieve "Zero malaria starts with me”, adding one has to play his/her part in the Preventive strategies, which he said includes environmental hygiene and the use of mosquito nets that could scale-up efforts to eradicate the disease.

In his part the Ebrima K. Dampha Governor North Bank Region (NBR) hailed the two heads of states in their stand to eradicate the disease.

He said, “it should be everybody's business in the fight against the eradication of the Malaria virus.”  He added that the fight against malaria is very challenging, therefore everyone should take part in ensuring that the epidemic end.