Dear editor,
The Government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and its reliable partners such as Global Fund, CRS and WHO etc., have registered a tremendous progress towards the control and elimination of malaria in the Gambia.
Recently, the country reached the Pre-elimination stage of malaria which is regarded as expert to be a great progress.
Interventions such as Indoor Residual Spraying IRS, Early diagnosis with RDT and treatment with Coartem, bed net distribution, provision of malaria chemotherapy for children, IPT for pregnant women have helped the country to achieve this progress.
Various studies are also conducted by Public Health Entomologists in the Gambia through partnering with experts outside the Gambia as well as MRCG. It is a great effort to reach this stage, making the Gambia the first in Sub-Saharan Africa to reach the pre-elimination stage.
Negligence and pride are among the things that may pull us back to a lower stage. Often a time I hear people say they can’t sleep under a treated bed net. Some say under it they can’t breathe properly, some say is like they are in an enclosure that sounds like a coffin.
These I believe are as a result of fatal beliefs, and turns to be flimsy excuses that can be easily changed by one struck of malaria episode.
Pre-elimination stage of malaria is something I can be proud of as a public health officer. Let’s change our attitude and make the Gambia a proud nation.
Ousman Bah
Fajikunda
