In the Lower River Region of The Gambia, access to healthcare remains a nightmare for an area who's population is more than 82, 361 representing a population density of 0.51. It is the only region without a hospital as Basse’s health centre has now been upgraded to a district hospital. The private clinics remain out of reach as the majority of the dwellers are poor while the minor health centres across the region have no drugs most times of the year. “We are really worried about the situation in our communities. Even if we get to the health centre there is no qualified health professional to attend to us as patients, which makes life very difficult for us," said Mamadou Dem, who hailed from Dongoroba in Jarra East. Apart from the lack of professionally trained health personnel, they are also often plagued with lack of drugs to treat people, while communities would trek kilometres before they can get the facilities, according to him. Dem recalled moments when there would be emergencies that needed urgent medical attention, and they could do nothing about it because health facilities are too far to reach within a short time. According to him, people in the region have been experiencing a nightmare as there are not enough health facilities in the region, with absolutely zero hospitals to take care of major health emergencies. “We have to walk for kilometres to access the ones in the region. Before you can see a health personnel, the person will have to wait for hours especially when it comes to getting access to drugs. That is because there are not enough drugs in these available facilities. The only thing we can get is to get a prescription and then go to private pharmacies to buy, which is usually very costly considering the poverty around here," he continued. The Gambia Bureau of Statistics’ (GBoS) Population and Demography report published in 2017 has described poverty as more of a rural phenomenon as the rural poverty rate has increased from 64.2 percent in 2010 to 69.5 percent in 2015/16. The poor in rural areas account for about 64 percent of the total poor in the country. Dem has reached these statistics stating that most dwellers do not have income to continue buying drugs from the private pharmacies. “It is very painful to travel long distances to seek for healthcare only to find that there is no person available to attend to you or there is no drug available. You have to go empty handed," Dem lamented. He urged the government to come to resolve their request that has been pending for decades, while people continue to die of avoidable illnesses.Now that Barrow has been re-elected as president for the next five years, Dem firmly appealed for consideration of their plights. Surang Jallow, a native of Seno in Jarra West had nearly lost his sister-in-law at labour due to lack of blood at the facility. “I went in search of blood from my village up to Farafenni, where I was lucky to get blood to save her life.” The poor condition of the health centres is abysmal in rendering health services. Jallow explained that the cost they charge on patients for medical tests at the labs is D50 per test, stating that is expensive. “We are really tired of going to private pharmacies to buy drugs because it is expensive for us to afford, and there are no drugs in the health centres. I am urging the government to wipe our tears,” he decried. Jallow believes that the candidate he had voted for in the just concluded presidential election would address their nightmare. He remains hopeful that the new leadership will construct a major hospital in the region as well as improve the services of the existing facilities, including making drugs available. This will avoid many health-related casualties, including maternal mortality. The infant mortality rate was 96 for every thousand births and the under-five mortality was 137 per every thousand births, as per the 2013 Census. In Fololo too, Jarra Central the conditions remain the same in terms of poor service delivery, including drug shortage, lack of qualified medical practitioners and accessibility. Aminata Dem is a native of the community. “We walk from community to community before we get to a health centre and mostly, we stay all day without getting a single drug from the health centre. We have no other option but to go and buy the drugs from the private pharmacy.” She expects the newly elected government to ensure drugs are available in the health centres and also with necessary equipment for health personnel to be able to perform their duties as required. The former Health Minister Omar Sey, has blamed the poor health conditions on the lack of implementation of the primary health care strategy plan. “We have lost a lot of resources over the past 2 to 3 years that could be used to improve our primary health issues in the Gambia because in 2017, there was money that can address all the primary health problems in the country,” he said. He recommends the updating of the health policy and decentralising its implementation, arguing that such can make a difference for the rural health issues. The Gambia National Health Policy has expired since last year – 2012 – 2020 – and there is so far, no new policy available to set out the mechanism of improving the country’s healthcare.
The Gambia is seeing a significant rise in the number of new Covid-19 cases, though the number of covid-related deaths have significantly reduced. Experts have warned that the relaxed nature of observing covid-19 safety protocols before, during and after the presidential elections may are the factor behind the increase in the number of new infections. Massive political rallies were held across the country in November, ahead of the December 4 election, and thereafter, gatherings that are more public were held with little or no covid safety measures. According to health experts, the trend is expected to continue with massive political rallies expected ahead of the parliamentary elections in April this year. It could be recalled that when covid-19 was discovered in the country in March 2020, all public gatherings were suspended to prevent the spread of disease but it is not practised now. The national situational reports from 1 November 2021 to December 16 indicated that 11, 426 new tests were carried out, 80 new cases, 36 recoveries, and 2 deaths were recorded in the Gambia. As of 1 November, the Gambia registered 9, 973 total confirmed cases, 14 active cases, 9, 618 recoveries, 1 new death, and 341 total confirmed deaths. However, as of 31 December 2021, 206 new cases were registered as the fourth wave of covid infections kicked in. Since then, a record 952 new cases have been reported by the Ministry of Health between the 1st and 8th of January 2022. Following the first positive covid case on 17 March 2020, President Adama Barrow-led government suspended all public gatherings; temporarily closed educational institutions and houses of worship; reduced the normal capacity of commercial vehicles and reduced the operational hours of markets. However, at some point in 2020, most of the COVID-19 regulations such as the ban on public gatherings was lifted due to minimised cases; but later in 2021, the Gambia experienced a second wave of the deadly disease. Despite that, public gatherings such as political rallies continued to be held. Despite the low records, Health authorities expect another wave in January 2022. United Democratic Party rally in Bakoteh on December 2, 2021 (Photo: Kerr Fatou) In a Foroyaa newspaper report, the Director of Health Services at the Ministry of Health said on 30 November 2021, that the Gambia is expecting another wave of Covid-19 in January 2022. Gibril Gando Baldeh, senior risk communication and community engagement at health communication unit, Directorate of Health Promotion and Education officer at Ministry of Health (MOH) said the Gambia has just entered its fourth wave of the pandemic and the ministry is aware of the threat, as there is already a sharp rise in cases. “This January, we have seen a sharp rise in cases. Meaning, from three to two (cases) which we were used to reporting in the beginning of December 2021… but coming one month down, we have started seeing a rapid rise in cases and this is alarming,” he expressed. In fighting other covid-19 variants, he said there is still need to use the same strategies that were used before such as the social distancing, hand washing, wearing of face mask, amongst others, to prevent the spread of the virus. However, Baldeh further said: “If the new (fourth) wave is similar to the first wave where we had almost hundred deaths in one month, more than five thousand cases in three months, it would force us to go in to more strict measures and ensuring that anybody who goes against these regulations would be dealt with according to law.” He added that it is obligatory to wear a facemask and adhere to covid-19 measures. He urged everyone to adhere to COVID-19 safety measures and take the jab to prevent widespread the spread of the virus. In a recent publication by the Point newspaper, Omar Sey, former minister of Health of The Gambia said if preventive measures are not put in place in political rallies, more COVID-19 cases could be registered. He justified that overcrowding is one of the factors of spreading the virus among people. “We all know that one thing that spreads the disease is overcrowding because someone may have the virus without symptoms and the person would be shouting while droplets coming from his or her mouth. This is the danger we have because some people do not know their health status,” he said. The former health minister said political rallies cannot be stopped in a year of election, but there is a need for political leaders to work with public health officials at the grassroots to make sure COVID-19 safety precautions are adhered to at all political rallies. He said political leaders should have containers of water with hand sanitizers for supporters at entrances of all political rallies and encourage their supporters to wear face masks properly and regularly to avoid spreading the disease. “The most difficult thing is social distance but they have to be encouraged to distance and avoid hand shaking. That can help in containing the virus,” he advised. Red Cross volunteers stretching a covid-19 corpse for burial in The Gambia(Photo: The Chronicle, The Gambia) Mr. Sey, who was the health minister of The Gambia when Ebola knocked some West African countries, advised the ministry through public health officials to use risk communication, community engagement and involvement strategy in every region. “Let politicians work with public health officials at the regional level to put health measures in place,” he told The Point. He advised the public to adhere to the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization recommendations and to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, a young feminist leader Amanita Jaiteh said women can minimize physical activities and always wear face masks to protect themselves. She encouraged women to participate in online campaigns on digital platforms when they have the access. The young feminist added that for women and children to be protected during this time, there is a need to invest in personal protective equipment for the women and girls by the government. Red Cross volunteers stretching a covid-19 corpse for burial in The Gambia (Photo: The Chronicle, The Gambia) “Political parties can consider hosting rallies in smaller groups at different intervals...,” she suggested. Jaiteh urged the awareness of women and girls to be raised about the dangers of the covid-19 pandemic to stay alert.
The people of Bakau say, they will only vote for a political party that has plans to fix the poor drainage facilities. click this link to listen: https://soundcloud.com/user-140623569-423216487/bakau-people-to-vote-for-proper-drainage-system
Millions of people around the world are silently battling an enemy that threatens their health and well-being. From heart disease to diabetes, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are on the rise, impacting individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Diabetes is a chronic Non-Communicable Disease that affect millions of people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 422 million adults globally have diabetes. This number is expected to rise to 642 million by 2040. The highest prevalence rates are found in low- and middle-income countries. In the Gambia, the prevalence of diabetes is according to The Gambia's 2018 NDCs national profile accounted for 34% of all deaths including diabetes, an increase from the 32% reported in 2014. This accounts for 1/3 of the Gambia’s population. WHO predicts that about 4% of The Gambia’s population could be diabetic by 2030, underscoring the importance of strengthening awareness of NCDs, specifically diabetes in the country. Dr. Abubacarr Jah, Consultant Urologic Surgeon at Sarab Medical Center, said diabetes is caused by the accumulation of sugar (glucose) in the blood stream which is not able to move to other parts of the body, muscles and the brain. He added that, type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune response that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for the majority of cases, is primarily caused by lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, and obesity “One of the complications of diabetes is that it affects the reproductive system for men, causes low vision which can lead to blindness and even amputation”. Abubacarr Bah, a Public Health lecturer at the University of the Gambia, highlighted that one of the main challenges in managing diabetes is ensuring access to affordable and quality healthcare, including regular monitoring of blood glucose levels and medication. “One of the major challenges is that lot of people with diabetes are yet to be diagnosed. Diagnostic tools are not accessible by many especially in the rural areas thereby posing a big challenge for patients. Bah added that, lifestyle modifications, such as adopting a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise, can help reduce the risks of getting diabetes. Diabetes which used to be common among adult folk is now prevalent among young people. Fatou Saine is a 22-year-old girl who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when she was 20. Reflecting on her struggles, she revealed that she visited many hospitals but was not able to get the correct information as to what sickness she was having. After series of laboratory tests, she was eventually diagnosed to have diabetes. “I feel weakness in my body which prevents me from doing some of the things I love. It has limited my social life because not a month passes by and I am not admitted at the hospital. I am aware that there is no cure for diabetes but I am adhering to all measures to prevent further escalation”, saine added. Nyima Ceesay is a student nurse at the University of the Gambia. Inspired by the desire to help communities, Nyima is creating awareness on diabetes and other chronic non-communicable disease. Through her efforts, she mobilized community members and conduct house-to-house campaigns which has gained attraction, reaching people far and inspiring them to take control of their health. “I have taken up the responsibility to educate communities about diabetes, it’s effects and the prevention measures. I have a blood glucose machine and a BLOOD pressure machine which I use to test where or not they have diabetes. I also educate them on the risk factors of this major chronic disease. The reason I took up this initiative is that as a student nurse, I want to contribute positively to my society and this way, I believe communities will be aware and more conscious of their health”, Ceesay added. Through her efforts, Nyima not only raises awareness about diabetes but also create a supportive community for those affected by the condition. The burden of NCDs is expected to increase in The Gambia if preventive and control measures are not taken. The prevalence of diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate, posing significant challenges for individuals, healthcare systems, and societies.