Published by participants in the Certificate in Journalism programof the African Virtual University-Indiana University of Pennsylvania Partnership. |
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| Africa Star |
The World Bank has loaned The Gambia $15 million to fight HIV AIDS, an official in the ministry of health said yesterday. In an interview the Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare Dr. Yankuba Kassama said while The Gambia had the lowest AIDS rate in the region government was seriously committed to fighting the disease. Kassama
said The Gambia is the only country where AIDS treatment is free. “We have got a lot of support from the leadership.We are trying to improve on primary health care, provide preventive medicines all over the country and having qualified doctors sitting at the door steps of people's houses,” Dr. Kassama said. “Health has been made very accessible and affordable to the Gambian population. It is very important to improve our primary health system and we are doing quite a lot to really prevent people from having both communicable and non communicable diseases,” he added. Stressing that that the government is doing everything possible to tackle the HIV/AIDS problem in The Gambia Dr. Kassama said: “We are leaving no stone unturned in the fight against HiV/AIDS pandemic. The rate is 2.1 percent, which is comparatively lower if compared to other countries in Central and East Africa. But we are not complacent even if we have one case, we are taking it seriously.” Dr. Kassama said the government is so seriously committed to it that “we now have the National Aids Council, which is chaired by the President himself.” The government obtained a World Bank loan of 15 million dollars to fight HIV/AIDS. There is also the National Aids Secretariat which is under the office of the president and also National Aids Control Programme. There have been a lot of IEC programmes on radio, television, newspapers, as well as posters and other visual aids. He said The Gambia is the only country in West Africa in which people are being treated free of charge. “It is very expensive and it costs a lot of money and a lot of effort, but the government is doing it for the Gambian people. You just go across the border in Senegal and you will pay a lot of money just to see a doctor, and if you see a doctor he will just prescribe and give you a prescription and you have to go and buy every thing outside,” he said. Asked about untrained people who have their own pharmacies and treat Dr. Kassama said this would soon be a thing of the past. A few weeks ago Dr. Kassama established the Gambia Medical and Dental Clinic(GMD). It is an independent body which is responsible for the registration of doctors and dentists who wish to practice in the country. “Nobody has the right to practice medicine or dentistry without being properly registered by the council,” he said. |
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The
African Star