He noted how stigma and denial often prevent men from seeking care. In Gambian households, health conversations are rare, and men often dismiss conditions like high blood pressure as just stress. He challenged the audience to change this mindset and speak openly with their peers and sons about health.
“The initiative was a way to prove that corporate institutions can and should play a role in the nation’s well-being. “A healthy nation is good for business, but more importantly, it is good for families,” the bank said in its closing remarks.
Dr. Ismaila Badjie stated that Gambian men must learn to value early detection.
“The average Gambian man does not celebrate 65 years old,” he told the gathering. “Most of our fathers and uncles don’t live long enough to pass down wisdom to their grandchildren. And it’s not just fate, it’s often health. Prostate cancer, hypertension, and diabetes are cutting lives short. Early detection can change that.”
He explained that many men avoid hospitals until it is too late, treating medical care only as an emergency service and as a last resort. “We spend our whole lives chasing money and status, only to spend all that money later chasing our health,” Dr. Badjie warned, urging men above 50 to take annual PSA tests.
Adding his words, Consultant Surgeon Dr. Lamin Jaiteh, emphasised the importance of breaking the silence around cancer. He reminded the audience that early detection could allow men diagnosed with prostate cancer to live a full, normal life.
“Most prostate cancers show no symptoms in the beginning, that is why screenings like this are so critical. By the time a man wakes up multiple times at night to urinate or sees blood in his urine, the disease may already be advanced. Prevention and awareness cost little, but save much.”
Director of Risk, Mr. Alhagie Samba, delivered the vote of thanks, praising Innovarx, the medical team, and the Ministry of Health for their collaboration. But his deepest gratitude was reserved for the men who turned up to be tested.
“By taking this step, you are not only protecting your health,” Samba said, “you are helping to break the silence and stigma that too often surrounds men’s health in The Gambia.”
The screening exercise was made possible through a partnership with Innovarx Global Health and with technical support from the Ministry of Health’s National Cancer Control Programme. A team of doctors led by Dr. Ismaila Badjie and Dr. Lamin Jaiteh conducted prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests alongside routine blood pressure and blood sugar checks.
