The executive committee of the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) Gambia Chapter, yesterday, paid a courtesy call on the vice-president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, in her office at State House, Banjul.

The delegation was led to State House by AMMREN country coordinator, Mr Pa Modou Faal, who briefed the vice-president on the activities of AMMREN, as a sub-regional body and the national chapter.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Faal told the vice-president that AMMREN is a network of journalists, scientists and health workers, working to eradicate the scourge of malaria in the continent. He said the network focuses mainly on the dissemination of updates and information on malaria initiatives, as well as participating in monitoring and implementing malaria policies in Africa.  

“AMMREN also advocates and engages policy makers to implement international agreements on malaria control, to further complement governments efforts,”  he added.

The AMMREN Gambia coordinator also informed the vice-president about the nomination of Sambou Suso as a goodwill ambassador of the national chapter, as well as their strong degree of collaboration with the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), MRC, CIAM, and TAYAM, among other partners in the fight against malaria.

Mr Malang Fofana, the manager of the NMCP, said the combined efforts of AMMREN, other partners, and the political commitment of the government has reduced the burden of malaria considerably. Mr Fofana pointed to Operation Eradicate Malaria, Operation Clean the Nation and the nationwide DDT spraying, as being among the initiatives that are helping in the fight against malaria.

In response, Vice-President Njie-Saidy welcomed the initiative and commended AMMREN for its achievements since its formation.  She called on other networks to emulate the efforts of AMMREN Gambia, describing it as a genuine model of developmental journalism.

VP Saidy also promised government’s full support to the network and called on the NMCP to continue working closely with AMMREN, especially in the area of awareness on the disease.  

At the end of the courtesy call, Mr Faal presented the first edition of the AMMREN magazine - Eyes on Malaria - to the vice-president. The visit was also attended by members of the National Security Council.

In their sustained efforts to reduce the mosquito population in Banjul and the periphery, the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) has recently waged a five-day biological warfare on mosquitoes in and around Banjul.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Mr. Balla Kandeh, Senior Programme Officer at NMCP, said the exercise was an annual event that NMCP conducts through the Department of State for Health. The exercise, he went on, involves the countrywide application of bio-larvicide to combat mosquitoes.

According to Mr. Kandeh, NMCP has three main preventative constituents of intermitted preventative treatment, insecticides treatment nets and vector control, adding that bio-larvicide, which falls under vector control approach, is more effective in that it entails the attacking and killing of mosquitoes at the larval stage in order to prevent them from multiplying.

“This exercise will make an impact because you stop mosquitoes from multiplying. This operation is not only confined to the city of Banjul but we’ll be reaching out to other communities in the countryside because 60% of our population live in the provinces,” he concluded.