The management of Banayaka Health Centre in collaboration with the Dutch Foundation (Elburge Help The Gambia) and the local community over the weekend held a daylong awareness creation session on Ebola prevention.
The sensitization session attracted participants from seven satellite villages, and the focus was on preventive measures and also to talk to the local communities on the danger pose by the virus, as well as its mode of transmission and prevention strategies.
The alkalo of Banayaka village, Malick Camara, expressed delight, adding that this was the first time such an educative forum was organised in his village.
He thanked the organisers, the management of Banayaka Health Centre, the donor foundation from Holland and his village development committee.
Ms Karin de Rooy, one of the sponsors from Holland who doubles as the project manager of Banayaka Health Centre, commended the local communities for their participation in this exercise.
She said the turnout was a clear indication of the local communities concern about this disease.
Jean Jarju Kujabi, regional principal nursing officer, spoke about the Ebola virus, and explained that purpose of the meeting was to talk about prevention mechanisms.
Abdoulie K. Baldeh, a nurse midwife and the officer in charge of the health centre stressed the importance of the Ebola sensitization exercise.
Lamin J. Jobarteh, regional health education and promotion officer in the West Coast region, said the 2014 Ebola virus disease outbreak is one of the largest in history, and the first in West Africa.
At the end of the sensitization exercise, Anitha Schoonhoven and Marke Fikse from Holland, expressed appreciation of the session, and urged the participants to use the knowledge gained.
