APEHOG commences Public Health Awareness Week

The event, punctuated with series of activities, is geared towards showcasing the many public health interventions undertaken by public health professionals both within and outside the country.

Also, the awareness week, which is held every two years, helps to create better understanding among the populace on public health issues thereby increasing acceptance or uptake of irreplaceable services they offered to the populace.

With a current membership of more than one thousand, the association was established in 1971 by public health professionals in The Gambia under the leadership of the late Dawda M.B. Jange.

At a press briefing held at the Central Medical Store, in Kotu on Monday, Nuha Fofana, president of the Association, said the association seeks to partner with government and other stakeholders in protecting the health of the populace by embarking on activities that will raise awareness among the population on matters of public health.

The association, he went on, consists of health professionals both within and outside The Gambia and that currently their members are spread across various ministries of government, parastatals, private institutions and several UN agencies both locally and internationally.

“The Association seeks to partner with government by offering technical assistance to some government machineries or in some instance mobilise and encourage members to partake in various public health interventions in the country.”

Furthermore, the association, also seeks to protect the mutual interest of its members and play a mediatory role between members and other authorities as the circumstances may warrant."

As part of efforts in contributing towards advancing public health in the country by creating awareness about the importance of public health interventions and in keeping the country safe, the association conducts a weeklong campaign every two years referred to as the 'Public and Environmental Health Awareness Week.'

He, however, revealed that association couldn’t conduct the event during the past two years due to Covid-19 lockdown.

The weeklong event, he added, is punctuated with series of activities geared towards showcasing the many public health interventions undertaken by public health professionals both within and outside the country.

The awareness week, he added, would help create better understanding among the populace on public health issues thereby increasing acceptance or uptake of irreplaceable services they offer to the populace.

Fofana noted that the week also enable members to brainstorm and discuss key thematic issues with a view to finding solution to some of the health problems.

Also speaking, Gibril Gando Baldeh, Public Relations Officer of the Association, dilated on some of the activities lineup for the week, saying the association membership is not only centred in the Kombos, but spread across the country.

"Therefore, it is a nationwide event. So, we want this information to reach all public health officers across the country."

Baldeh noted that the importance of public health cannot be over-emphasised add that the event couldn't come at a better time than now as the country emerged from Covid-19 lockdown.