WHO donates more medical equipment By Fatou Touray THE World Health Organisation representative in Banjul has presented medical equipment and supplies to the Gambia government worth D643,054.83, and expressed satisfaction "with the pace of implementation of our joint programme (2002-2003) with the government of The Gambia through the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare." "We have seen a renewed dynamism and strong leadership, and we hope this will continue for the betterment of the health of all people of the Gambia," declared WHO's country representative in Banjul Dr. James Mwanzia. The materials were handed over to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Yankuba Gassama, at a ceremony held in Banjul last Thursday June 13. The items presented include refrigerators and freezers, desk-top computers and lap-top computers, and a photocopier, an assortment of office equipment and stationery to assist with timely report writing, psycho tropic drugs, and diagnostic laboratory equipment for determination of HIV1&2. Dr. Gassama recalled that earlier this year, WHO provided 5,000 mosquito nets and 192 litres of permethrine for the malaria control programme, and a lap-top computer for the national health laboratory services. The malaria control unit together with the environmental sanitation unit have been laviciding Banjul and its environs in preparation for the up-coming malaria season. Furthermore, he said, arrangements have been effected at the RVH and bednets distributed country-wide to control malaria. He commended WHO for the provision earlier in the year of mammography equipment, a laundry machine, ambulances and other equipment, and thanked WHO's country representative Dr James Mwanzia for the support. Dr. Samba promised Dr Mwanzia in handing over the materials said last year, while on a visit to the RVH in Banjul, WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Ebrahim Malick Samba, promised WHO support to procure an additional set of laundry equipment (washing machine and dryer) to ease the problem of cleaning linen at the hospital. "Today, I am pleased to present to you the equipment, which have been sent directly to the RVH for installation, on behalf of Dr. Samba." The value of this equipment is D126,733, he announced. One of WHO's joint key programmes with the government's Department of State for Health and Social Welfare is the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), and important component of this is strengthening the cold chain equipment to ensure the viability of the vaccines used country-wide for immunisation. Dr. Mwanzia presented refrigeration equipment for use by the EPI unit. Another key component of the EPI programme in general and polio eradication in particular is strengthening surveillance for case detection and reporting, he went. To assist the Health Department of State in this effort, WHO presenting the following items: two desk top computers for use by the EPI unit and the national health laboratory; three laptop computers for use by the EPI unit, epidemiological and statistical unit (ESU) and the lab; one photocopier for the national health lab; and, an assortment of office equipment and stationery for EPI, ESU the lab and all the six divisions to assist with timely report writing. Two other programmes to benefit from the presentation are the mental health programme which received psycho tropic drugs worth D104,528.83; the national AIDS control programme which received Abbott Diagnostic Laboratory equipment for determination of HIV1&2. Have a good day, Gassa There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see, yet small enough to solve. -Mike- Levitt- _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~