The words of Mr. Henry Gomez, leader of the opposition Gambia People Democratic Party (GPDP), published in The Point today are very pertinent indeed. He has expressed the view that though the just concluded two-day political consultative meeting held in the country is significant in all aspects, there is still need for greater collaboration between the Government of The Gambia and its opposition parties.

We as a nation should all be proud that The Gambia would be engaged in such talks as we have just witnessed, but it follows that representatives of all the people should be involved fully and not just in attendance. While the APRC is the largest party in The Gambia it is not the only one, so when talks of this kind take place representatives of all parties must be allowed to play a full and active role in the deliberations.

Here in The Gambia all our population love peace and want to see peace and stability spread throughout the sub-region and indeed the continent as a whole. We can accomplish this if we all work together to represent our nation fully at such talks. Great change can come about when a greater variety and quantity of ideas and views are discussed between people. It reminds one of the old adage “two heads are better than one”.

Another pertinent proverb that applies to this situation is “charity begins at home”.

Mr. Henry Gomez stated in his interview, “If the government of The Gambia is doing that for political party leaders of Guinea Bissau with the sole objective of bringing lasting peace in their country, I don’t see any reason why they can’t do it here in The Gambia.”

There is a lot of sense in this statement. Through dialogue, discussion and an exchange of ideas we can all benefit as a nation as we move forward on our common path to development. The Millennium Development Goals we are trying to reach, the food self-sufficiency we are trying to gain, the high quality education we want for our children and the peace and stability we wish to see in our nation and sub-region are not the goals of any one party; they are the goals of every patriotic Gambian.

So in the future let us see a more inclusive politics practised in The Gambia. We would all reap the benefits with such eventuality.

The Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) coalition had organised a three day consultative meeting on Strategies for Accelerating the ratification of the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa for Mano River Union countries at Paradise Suite Hotel. In her welcoming remarks, on behalf of SOAWR, Madame Caroline Muthoni Muriithi of Equality Now Africa Regional Office, a women’s Rights organisation which is the secretariat for SOAWR, has said that solidarity for African women’s rights coalition,

(SOAWR) was created by passionate women’s rights activists and human rights organisations who wanted to ensure that the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa was adopted and subsequently ratified by all the African Union member states. “Its main goal has been to advocate for the universal ratification of the Protocol; to popularise the protocol and to ensure that it is implemented in all countries and becomes part of the domestic law thus ensuring that all women in Africa benefit from the rights and freedoms provided therein,” she said. To achieve this goal she added, it seeks to increase public opinion and constituencies for the ratification of the AU Protocol leading to ratification and progress on national domestication; utilize the existing policy space and commitment sustained and expanded within the African Union Commission and the Pan- African Parliament to champion the Protocol; create visibility and awareness of the Protocol’s provisions and the real conditions facing women and girls are actively promoted through mass media and internet based campaigns; to strengthen leadership capabilities of women’s organisations to consolidate the promise of the Protocol at national and regional levels”.

Madame Muthoni Muriithi, however disclosed that the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa was adopted by the African Union Heads of State and Government on 11th July 2003 and entered into force on 25th November 2005 becoming the fastest human rights instrument in Africa to come into force at such record speed. This she noted was due to the efforts of the solidarity for African womens’ rights (SOAWR) campaign together with partners and women activists across the continent. “SOAWR has in the last four years made great strides in its quest to speed up the ratification of the African Union (AU) Protocol on the Rights of Women. “Today, with a growing membership of 30 organisations in 18 African countries, SOAWR has continued to mount pressure on African Union member states. As we speak 25 out of the 53 African countries have ratified the protocol with Liberia and Zimbabwe being the latest to ratify, she concluded”.

For her parting Mrs Mary Small, facilitator to the program said that (SOAWR) is a continental coalition made up of 29 Civil Society Organisations and Development partners working towards the promotion and protection of women’s Human Rights in Africa.

She pointed out that since its inauguration in 2004, SOAWR’s main area of focus has been to get those countries that have not yet ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa to do so with a sense of urgency, while at the same time encouraging states that have ratified to domesticate and implement it in their respective countries, she added.

Madame Small further stated that, despite the widespread ratification by African States of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Violence Against Women and of the instruments that constitute the International Bill of Rights (Universal Declaration on Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), gender issues barely appeared in political agendas across Africa. Through these different encounters and partnerships with local bodies, she revealed, it has been made abundantly clear that to tackle the underlying causes of violence, it is necessary to support and strengthen local initiatives and organisations focused on ending violence on a sub-regional basis.

A one-day consultative meeting organised by Gamjobs was recently held at the Governor’s Bantaba in Janjangbureh in CRR. The meeting, which targeted youth and women, was to educate these target groups on the existence of Gamjobs and their aims and objectives.

Speaking earlier, the Gamjobs National co-ordinator, Mr. sheriff Gomez, said Gamjobs is a project focusing on young people and women who are the vulnerable social groups. He added that women constitute 50% of the labour force while young people outnumber the general population by 47% based on their vulnerability. Mr Gomez further revealed that the government of The Gambia considered it fitting to create Gamjobs to address the needs and aspirations of the target groups by creating meaningful avenues that will enable them to access jobs. He disclosed that by the end of the project it’s aimed to have found employment for 20,000 young people and women.

Speaking on behalf of the Governor of CRR, the chief of the Janjangbureh district, Seyfo Bakary Jam Jawoh, hailed Gamjobs, for doing such a wonderful thing in aiming to provide employment opportunities for women and young people. He then thanked the donors for supporting the initiative adding that the sensitization of local authorities will go a long way towards raising the level of awareness of local people.

He then urged the participants to take part during the course of the meeting.

For his part, the Regional Youths and sports co-ordinator, Mr. Adama Sabally, also thanked Gamjobs and the national Organising committee for coming up with such an initiative.

NEW UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR/ UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVES IN THE GAMBIA

16 May 2008 – Ms Chinwe Diké the new UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative for The Gambia, presented her credentials to His Excellency Alh. Dr. Yahya A. J.J. Jammeh, The President of the Republic of the Gambia today in a ceremony at the State House, Banjul.

UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon has appointed Ms. Diké as his designated representative in The Gambia and as the most senior UN official in the country.

Ms. Diké will lead the UN Country Team comprising UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP, FAO WHO and UNHCR.

The UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon in his letter addressed to H. E. The President of The Republic of The Gambia expressed his confidence that Ms. Diké's appointment would further strengthen collaboration between the Government of The Gambia and the UN System.

Ms.Diké has sixteen years experience working within the UN system in New York, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. Ms. Diké began her career at the UN as UNOPS Programme Management Officer, managing UNDP Agricultural projects for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and in this capacity has worked both in Asia and Latin America.

At the time of her appointment to The Gambia, Ms. Diké was the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Swaziland. There she developed strategies for and facilitated provision of technical co-operation and capacity development to the Government, CSOs and primary national stakeholders to engender capacity for service delivery in various areas such as: HIV/AIDS, Decentralization, Gender, Poverty Reduction and Governance.

She has also played a key role in promoting and enhancing UN cohesion through joint programming and joint activities in furtherance of UN Reform, and also strengthened resource mobilization, improved strategic partnership with government and national stakeholders working closely with partners such as European Commission and World Bank.

Prior to her appointment in Swaziland she was the Principal Interagency Officer, UN Chief Executive Board for Coordination (CEB) UN Secretariat, UN DESA New York.

Before joining UN/UNDP, Ms. Diké worked with City of New York Office of the Corporation Counsel Economic Development Division (EDD), Barclays Bank PLC New York, Chase Manhattan Bank Nigeria, The Federal Republic of Nigeria Ministry Of justice, and Csaplar and Bok Law Firm, Boston. Ms Diké is a lawyer by profession

A citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Ms. Diké holds a LLM- Corporate Law from Harvard University Law School, USA, LLB/MA from Cambridge University, Girton College UK, and Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College USA. She was admitted to the Bars of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and New York State in 1981 and1990 respectively.

For more information please contact: registry.gm@undp.org

The Gambia, on Wednesday, ventured officially into using a new drug in malaria treatment called  Coartem, following studies across the country showing resistance to chloroquine (CQ) exceeding levels recommended by the World Health Organisation globally.

Officially launching the new anti-malarial treatment policy (ACT), Dr Malick Njie, secretary of state for Health and Social Welfare, said his department and partners had conducted a series of consultative meetings since October 2004 to share information on the introduction of chloroquine resistance in The Gambia with a view to reaching concensus on the need to change as well as identify the new drug to replace CQ.  Consequently, Artemether + Lumefantrine (Coartem) has been identified as the new drug to replace CQ for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in The Gambia.

According to SoS Njie, the policy change had been consented to by the Cabinet and the Gambian leader, Dr Alhaji Yahya Jammeh in February, 2007, and procurement and distribution of the drugs have also been effected. Health worker trainings and community sensitizations on coartem are also ongoing. “This policy change is a vital step given the importance of effective malaria treatment as a key strategy in our overall malaria control and prevention program,” he said.

For his part, the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Tamsir Mbowe, said malaria is not the only disease that affects the health of a nation but has serious negative economic impacts, thereby encouraging poverty and social injustice.

According to him, in The Gambia, for the past three years, there has been significant reduction in malaria cases, thanks to the political will of our leader, Dr Alhaji Yahya Jammeh and his continued support to the health sector in providing aircrafts for the control of the mosquito vector, billarvicides that take care of the mosquitoes larvae and the introduction of the set settal programme, to name a few.

“In the fight against malaria, I have the firm belief that the introduction of ACTs in our anti-malaria drug chain will help significantly in the management of the disease. We should all continue to work as a team and combine all the preventive and control measures in the fight against malaria,” he said.

Mrs Markieu Janneh Kaira, acting chief pharmacist, National Pharmaceutical Services, also speaking at the ceremony, said it had been a long journey to reach this goal post but we can congratulate ourselves that it has successfully come to this since a lot has been achieved to date.  To name a few:

• Registration of the new drug, Artemether-Lumefantrine, which is a combination of two drugs formulated into one tablet (Coartem)

• Guidelines have been updated to include this new treatment policy change in 2005

• Sensitization of the public has started and is still ongoing

• Procurement and distribution of the ACTs to all the regional medical stores across the country and most public health facilities.

“I would like to inform Gambian people that this is a very effective treatment that is currently being adapted for the treatment of malaria and we are lucky to benefit from it.  However, if this medicine is to serve us well, let us be prepared to use this medicine rationally to delay resistance.  Use medicine only when prescribed by health workers, complete the full course treatment - twice daily for 3 days, do not share your treatment,” she emphasised.

Speaking earlier, Malang Fofana, manager, National Malaria Control Programme, said the launching of the new drug marks a major turning point in the history of malaria control and prevention in The Gambia. “It is only through effective partnership such as this anti-malaria policy change that we can a roll back malaria in our country,” he said.

The malaria problem, according to him, cuts across many sectors and needs a multi-sectoral approach to fight it effectively.

Agnes Kuye, acting WHO Rep, also speaking at the ceremony, said WHO, from 1998 to 2003, has been providing both financial and technical support in drug efficacy studies conducted in Basse,  Mansakonko, Brikama, Essau and Polyclinic.

The drug efficacy studies have revealed increased chloroquine resistance which has surpassed the WHO threshold.  Based on this evidence, the department of state for Health & Social Welfare requested WHO’s technical assistance to facilitate drug policy change for the treatment of malaria. “It was at this meeting that The Gambia has selected

Artmether-Lumefantrine as a drug of choice for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria, following a consultative meeting with all relevant partners.”

Min-Whee Kang, UNICEF country rep, for her part, said nearly all sub-Saharan countries have rapidly shifted their national drug policies to promote more effective treatment with artemisinim-based combination therapies with financing and procurement significantly increased since 2005.

In The Gambia, according to the national malaria strategic plan, six key strategies have been identified to reduce malaria burden, thus subsequently reducing morbidity and mortality. 

Key among these strategies is prompt and effective treatment of uncomplicated and complicated malaria with highly efficacious anti-malaria drugs.

The process leading to what we are about to witness today is a result of a series of activities implemented over the past two years in The Gambia.

The selection of Artemether + Lumefantrine (Coartem) was reached during the national consensus meeting to choose an alternative to chloroquine.  This decision was finally approved by government despite being informed of the increase in  drug cost by the introduction of ACTs.

We therefore commend the government of The Gambia for giving the overall health of the population, especially women and children, a priority regardless of cost.  This action indicates strong government commitment and resolve to achieving the PRSP II, Vision 2020 and MDGs especially goals 4 and 5.

Present at the ceremony were Dr Ayo Palmer - director of CIAM - Professor Tumani Corah, director of MRC, Saihou Janneh - DPS Health, among others.