The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) had over the years instituted several strategies in preventing and controlling the prevalence of malaria in the country. The use of insecticide treated nets and the distribution of long lasting nets to the communities have proven to be very effective in the fight against malaria.

The latest of this kind of programme is the national mass bed nets dipping week-long campaign held in all the regions in the country which concluded last week.

In Central River Region, beneficiaries shared their views on the campaign with the Daily Observer.

Madu Jallow, village health care worker in Sareh Soffie, CRR South, said the project has definitely help Gambians in the health service delivery throughout the country especially those in the rural areas. He added that the inception of the programme in the country has contributes to the awareness of this endemic disease.

According to Mr Jallow, looking at the records of the net dipped in Sareh Soffie community, children under five formed the largest targets number of this year’s campaign together with the pregnant women.

Soury Sabally said that at Sareh Soffie, traditional birth attendants, since the inception of this programme, child mortality has reduced to 65%  by virtue of the fact that pregnant women are well sensitised on this fast killer disease, dded that the community has also embarks on series of sensitisation campaign to curb this menace.

To Mariama Gaye, a Peace Corp volunteer working with Galleh Manda Community Health Nurse in Galleh Manda, said that the exercise was delivered to expectations in Galleh Manda circuit and she commended the community for their cooperation during the campaign.  

Karamba Keita, Regional Health Officer, CRR mentioned that the campaign exercise in all the regions in the country was supervised by 26 District Supervisors (CHNs and APHOs) at the operational level and 4 supervisors at the regional level with a core of facilitators from the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP). He then noted that the dipping exercise took place at some strategic points ranges from one site to three sites depending on the size of the community.

He then announced that, a total of 651 dipping sites were established in 640 communities in the Central River Region.