The president of the Republic, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhagi Dr. Yahya Jammeh, has strengthened The Gambia’s laboratory disease surveillance with a donation on Sunday of laboratory regents, test kits, and other essential materials.

The consignment, which was handed over to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare at State House by the vice president and Women’s Affairs minister, Her Excellency Aja Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy on behalf of the benefactor, was also meant to contribute in the prevention of the emergence of public health diseases.

The vice president and Women’s Affairs minister has renewed the call for a strong and genuine public-private sector partnership in the drive towards the attainment of the ‘Vision 2016 Rice Self-Sufficiency Agenda’, which was launched by President Jammeh to break the culture of food importation into the country. The veep said this sort of partnership could have the potential of attaining food self-sufficiency for The Gambia even beyond the target deadline of 2016.

Her Excellency Aja Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy was speaking Thursday at her office during a meeting with officials of Action Aid International The Gambia, who were at the presidency to brief her on the recent activities of the organisation, including the new global changes it is undergoing.

The veep hastened to acknowledge AAITG and by extension its international federation, as one of The Gambia government’s genuine partners that have complemented it’s efforts in many areas including the fight against poverty and food insecurity. 

United States based militants of The Gambia’s ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction ( APRC) have hailed what they called the  transformative path of the country under the leadership of His Excellency Sheikh Prof. Alh. Dr. Yahya Jammeh.

The militants were speaking recently during a meeting with the country’s charge d’affaires, Sheikh Omar Faye, at the Gambian Embassy in Washington DC.

According to a dispatch from The Gambia Mission DC, the delegation led by the chapter’s Chairman, Musa Drammeh met with Charge D’Affaires Faye on June  14,  2014.  

The Gambia’s preparedness and response against the highly contagious Ebola virus has been strengthened by the United Nations system in Banjul through the World Health Organisation (WHO) with a presentation Tuesday of an assortment of preventive medical items and other supplies to the Healthy Ministry.

The consignment, received by the Health minister at the WHO office in Kotu, included over 42 boxes (4000 sets) of personal protective equipment, 2000 copies of posters on the prevention and control of Ebola virus disease, 2500 copies of leaflets of Ebola virus disease, 2000 copies of fact sheet on the disease, 2000 copies of Ebola virus disease guidelines for health workers, 200 copies of handbook on the disease 

A donor conference was on Tuesday convened by the Banjul City Council (BCC) and the Ministry of Health and Social welfare, designed to raise a staggering D10 million for the upgrading of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH). 

The meeting held at a local hotel in Banjul, brought together a wide range of stakeholders including members of the public and private sector, donor and development partners, the diplomatic community and the NGO community, amongst others.

The conference was meant to raise a substantial amount of money to enable the hospital address some of its immediate needs for effective health care delivery.