The Association of Health Journalists (AOHJ) at the weekend elected the first female president of the association, Fatou Touray of Gambia Info, a government newspaper.
The long awaited congress was held at the Daily News offices in Churchill’s Town on Brikama Highway.
Ms Touray replaces former President Momodou Faal of The Point newspaper.
Ms Touray is the 3rd female journalist elected to lead a journalist’s organization in the country. During the congress, GRTS’s Dodou Bojang and Foroyaa’s Annia Gaye were also elected 1st and 2nd vice-presidents respectively.
Francis Mendy of GRTS was also elected the Secretary General of AOHJ, while Foroyaa’s Amie Sanneh was elected as assistant secretary general.
Ida Jobe of GRTS was re-elected treasurer of the association for the third consecutive time with Ebner Musu Jassey coming back as the public relations officer for the second time. Mama Jaye and Sally Jarjue, both of GRTS, are also co-opted into the executive committee.
Momodou Faal, the outgoing president of the association who took over from first president Madi M.K. Ceesay, in his report commented on the role of health journalists in the country.
He said: “As a young association, we set for ourselves modest targets primary among them is capacity building of our members. It is a fact that without self-improvement on new skills and technology, no journalist will be able to work effectively.”
This, he said, was why since he took over in 2006, he, with support from partners, held series of training programmes for members of the organisation.
Other achievements cited by Mr Faal were the association’s membership to the national codex committee as well as the communication multi-sectoral taskforce of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
During his tenure, Faal pointed out, the association also acquired computers as well as flash-drives through the support of partners.
The treasurer Ida Jobe, who reported on the financial status of the health organ, said the association had about D6,000 at its account.
In her acceptance speech, the new AOHJ president Fatou Touray commended the association for electing her as their new president.
She challenged members to put all hands on deck to assist her to achieve the association’s objectives.
