The health awareness day accords them the opportunity to offer free medical services and consultation to hundreds of individuals on the day.
The event was marked with display of stalls and talks on major health issues such as hypertension and diabetes, dental unit, eye and ear unit, laboratory testing, nutrition stalls, major cancers in The Gambia, infection control, blood pressure, among others.
Thus, the awareness forum is meant to encourage a healthier living and lifestyle choices by raising awareness in the surrounding communities.
At the forum, Isatou Lovelace, Gambia Coordinator for Altogether Giving Africa (AGA) UK/Gambia, underscored the importance of good health, reminding that people need to recognise that without their good health they are nothing.
She therefore urged people to recognise the impact of sugar on their daily diets and teeth as well as the impact of what they eat and their health.
Sister Isatou noted that the day was also meant to improve people’s health lifestyle, saying Gambians have way too much sugar in their green tea locally called -‘attaya’ and do not realise the negative impact it has on them.
She therefore urged people to manage their diets and consume less sugar, making reference to a popular adage ‘health is wealth’.
Cherno Yaddeh, General Administrator/CEO Aoja Old Jeshwang Health Center, reminded that health is about prevention before cure and they want to raise people’s awareness.
Yaddeh pointed out that some people walk around their whole life without even checking their blood pressure.
“I therefore encourage people to be going to health centers regularly to have medical checkups and tests done at the right time before damage is done. There is an increase in the trend of diabetes and hypertension in the country and people need to be aware of this and go to hospital on time.”
He appealed to The Gambia Government to commit more to health especially as they mark health awareness day.
Karen Rowe, health coordinator for AGA, said Gambians need healthcare and at least somewhere they can go to once a year to check on their health status for free.
Dilating on prostate, Michael Campbell, chairperson AGA/UK, said this ailment affects every man at some point and therefore advised men to be visiting doctors to know their status and seek for medical advice.
He pointed out that prostate cancer can lead to a man not having children and no erectile functions.
“If the prostate is not checked it can lead to cancer. Many men live with prostate cancer and they do not even know.” he stated.
Kebba Banja, president AGA Gambia, reminded people about the existence of lot of diseases in the country, which he said, is the reason why they initiated the health awareness day to not only educate Gambians, but also to offer free medical services.
AGA UK/Gambia; a non-profit group based in United Kingdom shares the passion to help disadvantaged communities across Africa, particularly in The Gambia. Over the years, the charity trust has supported a number of sectors in the country, from education to health sectors as well as the less privileged. The non-profit group has been organising the health awareness day in The Gambia since 2015.
