The Department of State for Health and Social Welfare (DoSH), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), last Wednesday, embarked on a five-day workshop on the Integrated Management of Neo-natal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI)  at the Paradise Suite Hotel in Kololi.

The theme is centred on: “Planning meeting for the integrated health facility survey”.

“The strategy is to target four main conditions responsible of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries of which The Gambia is no exception. These include malaria, respiratory track infection (ARI), diarrhoeal diseases, malnutrition and measles,” David Mendy, deputy IMNCI coordinator for DoSH, explained.

During an interview with the Daily Observer at the margins of the opening ceremony, Mr Mendy further revealed that at the end of the IMNCI planning meeting, an integrated health facility survey will be implemented and children under five will be the main targets. He went on to say that the process has been in place since 2002 and was supported by PHMB under the World Bank, which was at the pilot stage that covers North Bank and Lower River Region,.

According to him, in 2004, the early implementation phase was evaluated and it was found out that the strategy was very useful. He then noted that the strategy will be expanded to all the remaining regions.