By Kumba Leigh
The government of Japan has supported The Gambia with a 2.5 million grant meant to strengthen the country’s health system. The assistance is specially earmarked to support the country’s covid-19 response – particularly the expansion and control measures in enhancing the local capacity to handle and manage vaccines.
Handing over a fleet of vehicles and some other medical items to Health Minister Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, at a ceremony held last week at the Central Medical Store in Kotu, UNICEF representative, Gordon Jonathan Lewis, explained that this component of the grant entails the procurement of 17 vehicles of which, 11 are here, 50 motor bikes and 130 cold boxes and 49 vaccines freezers,’’ he said.
For Health Minister Samateh, this was a huge humanitarian donation of monumental proportion by the government of Japan to the people of The Gambia.
“The Gambia has been globally recognised to have persistently maintain its high routine immunisation coverage through a vibrant immunisation service, and is also in the fore front in the introduction of new and under-used WHO pre-qualified life-saving vaccines into its national immunisation schedule,’’ he stated.
The minister posited that the items will address almost all the recovery needs of the programme, and would be used for strengthening immunisation service delivery, and outreach facilities across the country, strengthening monitoring and supervision from the national level to health facility level.
H.E Osamu Izawa, Japanese Ambassador, extended Japanese government’s commitment to assist.
Mr. Izawa said their cooperation aims at strengthening The Gambia’s capacity to address covid-19. “It is intended to provide the country with cold chain equipment including medical equipment such as cold storage facilities and transport as “Last One Me Support” to enhance vaccination in The Gambia,’’ he alluded.
‘’Currently,’’ he continued, “ensuring equitable access globally in developing countries such as The Gambia, and accelerating vaccination is the common challenge for the international community towards the goal of continuing covid-19. Japan’s Emergency Grant Aid, this time, aims at delivering vaccines to each and every person in all corners of The Gambia’’.
