Gambia: 2017 Malaria Survey Publish

By Ousman A. Marong
The National Malaria Control
Programme (NMCP)in collaboration
with the Ministry of Health and
Social Welfare, has on Tuesday,
published its 2017 malaria
indication survey at the Djembe
Hotel in Kololi.
A joint–survey which was
conducted by The Gambia Bureau
of Statistics and UTICA
Organization in collaboration with
National Malaria Control
Programme, aims to provide
population-based estimates on
malaria indicators including
malaria prevention, knowledge and
prevalence, to make strategic
planning and evaluation.
The survey indicated that The
Gambia has made significant
progress in controlling malaria in
the sub-region with 0.4%.
Despite the new progressive report
on malaria control, its ailment still
prevails in The Gambia especially
during the rainy season.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary
at the Ministry of Health and Social
Welfare, Karamba Keita, said the
survey was meant to measure
progress towards achieving the
goals and targets set in the malaria
strategic plan for malaria
prevention and control from 2014 –
2020.
DPS Keita revelead that they are
proud to be associated wih all the
partners who have contributed
immensely towards the successful
completion of this year‘s survey in
the implementation process to
achieve a malaria free country.
In his part, Momodou Kalleh,
Programme Monitoring and
Evaluation Specialist at Ministry of
Health, said the ministry‘s aim is
to ensure that 80% of the Gambian
population is malaria free.
He urged pregnant mothers to go
to the hospitals regularly to get
their drugs and regular preventive
measures for malaria.
“The National Malaria Control
Programme is currently spraying
two provincial regions of the
Gambia, ie; Upper River Region and
Central River Region, and if funds
are available we will spray the
entire country,” he asserted.
For Muhammed Ayad, Director of
UTICA Organization, despite the
progress made by the Gambia
government in controlling malaria,
there is still more to be done. He
challenged the Ministry of Health
to seek funds and continue
implementing such surveys in the
country in order to eradicate the
malaria virus.
A statistician at Gambia Bureau of
Statistics (GBoS), Alieu Saho, said
GBoS’ mandate is to provide
numbers to be used by programme
managers so as facilitate and to
see what they have been doing
over the past years in terms of
such targets related to malaria.

“PS JALLOW: MoBSE TO RESTORE CIVICS IN GAMBIA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM”

Could the restoration of Civics as a subject of study in the Gambia’s education curriculum remedy the growing misconceptions of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, civic obligations and responsibilities in the country? 

Well, the need to resuscitate and mainstream Civics in our education system has forever been a concern for most Gambians especially those that had once offered it before it was cleansed off from the curriculum. It is against this backdrop that the Education Students’ Association (EDUSA) of the University of The Gambia organised a symposium on Wednesday 18^th April, 2018 at Gambia College, Brikama with the ultimate aim of recruiting the public and the concerned authorities attention to the relevance of Civics in our new dispensation.

 The theme for the event was: “The Importance of Civic Education in Gambia Education System.” This educational symposium was well-attended and had drawn students and teachers from Senior Schools in Brikama, Gambia College, the University of the Gambia, as well as the invited dignitaries.

 

In his opening statement, the President of EDUSA, Alhagie B. Sama welcomed and thanked all the students in the School of Education University of The Gambia especially his executive for making this event a success. He equally expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Dean of School of Education, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, the GTU, and UTG Students’ Union for their continuous support and collaboration in the implementation of his association’s activity plans in the past year. President Sama expounded on the significance of Civic Education in the new Gambia, thus he appealed to the authorities for its rejuvenation into our education system.

The Senior Programe Officer for National Council for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr.  Yusupha Bojang explained that Civic Education means the process of educating and promoting civic engagement and participation among the citizenry to be able to know their civic obligations and responsibilities in a democratic state. Bojang emphatically said part of his Council’s aims is to enlighten and reliably inform the populace through different platforms of their civic rights and responsibilities for participatory democracy, as well as to understand the concept of good governance, how government is formed and its functions to the state.

 

For his part, Mr. Essa Sowe, the Deputy General Secretary of The Gambia Teachers’ Union (GTU) highly hailed and commended the executive of EDUSA for coming up with such initiative, noting that this could not have come at an appropriate time than now. Mr. Sowe strongly argued that Civic Education is a process and not an event. 

He further highlighted the crucial roles of teachers in promoting and enhancing Civic Education in The Gambia, citing that teachers are essential recipes for peace and sustainable growth in any democratic nation. DGS Sowe, however, challenged teachers to be proactive and jealously embraced the tenets of their profession, while urging them to continuously strengthen the democratic values, norms, and cultures through teaching and learning in their various communities.”

 Being a teacher should not deter one’s role in the community,” said Mr. Sowe. 

 He genuinely recommended the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology to considerreintegratingand reincorporating Civics into our education curriculum for a good reason. Sowe called on the government and the state to ensure rights for association, assembly, and other democratic values are supported and strengthened for greater participation and development.

Muhammed B.S. Jallow, the Permanent Secretary of MoBSE underscored the significance of Civic Education, noting that it would be necessary to educate our children the relevance of it. “Time has come for The Gambia to talk about proper civic education and participation in this new dispensation. Countries such as Ghana and Nigeria still offer Civics as a subject in their curriculum, and about 95% of the students who sit to WASSCE have good credits in it,” said Mr. Jallow.

Hehighlighted some challenges involved in the process of restoring Civics ranging from designing a curriculum (distinguishing facts from opinions), those aspects to be in the curriculum, training of teachers in Civic Education to the teaching materials required. PS Jallow eventually assured the students that his ministry together with the GTU and other relevant stakeholders will work closely to bring back Civics in Gambia Education system.

The event was characterised by presentation of certificates to the Dean, School of Education, the GTU, MoBSE, and GTUCCU in appreciation of their unflinching support and motivation to students of the School of Education, University of The Gambia through the 8^thexecutive council of EDUSA.

Author: Yankuba Manneh