Stakeholders
among them veterinary and health officials recently gathered at NaNA conference
hall to discuss the draft project proposal titled ‘the Gambia Goat Dairy’.
The
forum was organised by Corey Spies and Brianna Parsons from School of
Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania in USA in partnership with
Sulayman Junkung General Hospital and International Trypanotolerance Centre.
Kebba
Badjie, CEO Sulayman Junkung General Hospital, said the project concept is
home-grown and it is expected to boost the country in terms of food safety and
security.
According
to the project summary, Sulayman Junkung General Hospital in Bwiam and the
National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) identified wasting and stunting due to
under-nutrition as a major public health concern in The Gambia.
They
also lamented that health centres are often limited in their ability to treat
malnutrition due to insufficient funding that hinders medication access.
Given
that low protein consumption is a major determinant of under nourishment, a
number of Gambian organisations have emphasised the need for accessible, high
quality protein.
As
a result, the goat dairy project was designed to be implemented through the
multilateral involvement of The Gambia government, private business, non-government
organisation, non-profit organisations and academic institutions to combat the
prevalence of under nutrition in The Gambia.
The
GGD project is said to be feasible, sustainable, and profitable.
Mr
Olawale Olaniyan, said
the initiators of the project have been working with ITC to promote the local
breed which are tolerant and resistant to some diseases in The Gambia.
He
said the GGD is a good example of international collaboration with local
institutions.
