The National Population Commission Secretariat (NPCS) under the Office of the Vice President (OVP), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) office in Banjul, recently conducted a two-day training for the National Assembly Members (NAMs) of The Gambia, centering on population and development issues, notably gender and reproductive health.
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Permanent Secretary, OVP, Mr. Dawda Ceesay, said the Vice President’s Office had been in close contact with the Population Secretariat in the delivery and coordination of population and development programs, for the attainment of harmonized goals for socioeconomic development.
Madam Mariama Fanneh, the Director of Population Secretariat, in her remarks, told the audience the NPCS is the technical arm of the National Population Commission, with the mandate of addressing emerging population trends and dynamics, thereby promoting advocacy and development issues. These issues, she added, target government leadership, civil society and the private sector for sustainable socioeconomic development.
Director Fanneh indicated that the government, through the National Assembly Select Committee, is a member of the Network of African Parliamentary Committees of Health (NEAPACOH), which seeks to strengthen the capacities of African parliamentary Health committees.
According to her, the regional body seeks to strengthen the capacities of African Parliamentary Health Committees to deal more effectively, with challenges in the areas of health and family planning in their respective countries.
Fanneh explained that the regional body convenes annually to reflect on the progresses and challenges of population development issues, “and renew their commitments on improving reproductive health and family planning for accelerated implementation of the ICPD Programs of Action and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
Mr. Alieu Sarr, who represented the UNFPA at the event, refreshed that UNFPA has been supporting the Gambia Government since 1972, when most of the supports, at the time, were directed to the conduct of the 1973 Population Census.
The United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, since then, had been supporting a lot of country programs; and the current country program, as Sarr pointed out, is the 8th Country program (in the Gambia).
“We at UNFPA set the motion for strategic effort, based on quality data to achieve 3 (three)zeros by 2030,” the UNFPA official told the gathering, as he cited those three zeros as: zero preventable maternal deaths; zero unmet need for contraception; and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices such as child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Dr. Lamin Dampha, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, told the attendees, “Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) is fundamental to individuals, couples and families, and social and economic development of communities and nations”.
Therefore, he said, the government of the Gambia has realized that the sustainable development of the nation would not be achieved without renewed commitment by the entire nation as well as local leaders and partners towards the improvement of women, children and adolescents’ health.
Permanent Secretary Mrs. Rohey Bittaye-Darboe of Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare (MoGCSW) also addressed the gathering. She informed them that population and development are multifaceted and multidimensional. As such, their Ministry has become a critical stakeholder in the issues, for sustainable socioeconomic development of the country, she stated.
Madam Bittaye-Darboe continued:“My Ministry, with partners, has initiated and supported the establishment of key structures at the decentralized levels. These structures include one-step shop for victims of Gender-Based Violence, child protection committees and renovation of an edifice at Bakoteh Shelter, to provide temporal accommodation and counseling for victims of GBV.”
Hon. Ousman Sillah, Chairperson of the Legislative Select Committee on Health said, “The training aims to sensitize the committee member, to develop their capacities in advocating for issues relating to population, gender and reproductive health”.
The NAM for Banjul North reassured the Population Secretariat that the Committee is looking forward to their effective engagements, in providing the Secretariat with the requisite advocacy that is needed, so as to push forward gender and reproductive agenda in the country.
Majority Leader of the National Assembly, Hon. Kebba K. Barrow, speaking on behalf of Hon. Mariam Denton, the Speaker of the National Assembly, charged that as the representatives of the people, it’s their collective responsibility to support the noble initiative, adding it would enable the lawmakers to know the challenges in population and development.
This, the lawmaker optimistically argued, would also enhance the capacity of the legislators to advocate for more funding for population and development programs, including reproductive health and gender, which have the potential for positive change in the Gambian communities.
