Sheikh Abdoulie Jah Charitable Foundation (SAJCF), in collaboration with the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH), is conducting a five-day training for midwives across the country on the petrography and other safe delivery methods.

The course is being hosted by the RVTH.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, the president of SAJCF, Professor Dr. Omar Jah Senior, revealed that the training will be conducted in three phases.

“The first batch of 34 midwives will be trained while the second and third will each train 33 health personnel,” he said.

He stated that since the commencement of the activities of the foundation in 2004, they have made a total of 32 trips to the rural areas where they have treated over 15,500 patients free of charge. He added that it was during those trips they learned of the need for training grassroots communities and health workers. He said that they are being supported by the Islamic Development Bank.

According to him, in 2007/8 the foundation was able to train 50 traditional birth attendants and 25 village health workers.

Dr. Jah said that the foundation is optimistic about The Gambia’s chances of attaining the MDG targets of reducing newborn mortality by two thirds and maternal mortality by 75% by 2015

Others speakers at the occasion included Dr. Bekai Camara and Ajaratou Abi Khan, Head of the Regional Health Team Western Region.