VI. SOCIAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

Mr. Speaker, Sir,

I will now turn to the social sectors of Health, Education and Agriculture I. Health and Population

I. Health and Population

86. The significant developments realized in the health sector have been the pursuit of current health policy goals of promoting equity in access to quality essential health care.

87. Following The Gambia’s certification status by WHO in 2003 for eradication of neonatal tetanus and leprosy, major efforts were undertaken to sustain achievements in this area. During the current financial year, routine availability of vaccines and injection safety materials with active surveillance for the diseases were ensured through the National Programme of Immunisation. Administrative Cumulative Coverage for all antigens from January – July 2004 indicated DPT/HIP 3 coverage was 97.3% in 2004, with initial reports indicating that the coverage in 2005 will become even higher.

88. Government has now started the procurement of vaccines and consumables, after the phasing out of the Vaccine Independent Initiative (VII), and the cold chain system has been rehabilitated recently for the entire health system. In a bid to maintain and sustain the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI), a Financial Sustainability Plan (FSP) has recently been developed.

89. Through the Participatory Health Population and Nutrition Project (PHPNP) and the National Aids Secretariat (NAS), Government undertook the construction of Reproductive Health (RH) clinics in Major Health facilities countrywide in 2004. Completion of these projects is expected by the end of the year, and will provide the adequate care for the reproductive and health needs of men and women, including the provision of emergency obstetric care, a major focus for the next health sector project.

90. As part of the measures to control and treat common and endemic diseases, during the current year, attention is being focused more on strengthening diagnostic and clinical services, aimed at enhancing quality of health care offered to patients. With the implementation of the blood transfusion policy, National Blood Transfusion Centres have been successfully established across the country to ensure adequate and safe blood supply. The timely provision of medical equipment has immensely contributed to significant reductions of many ailments, especially at community level.

91. To protect pregnant women, and also the children and other vulnerable groups in the major mosquito breeding areas, Government, with the support of our development partners, distributed free-of-charge thousands of nets. The Accelerated Child Survival and Development Project & Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) interventions supported by UNICEF, and Department of State for Health, have made a significant impact on reductions of infant and maternal morbidity and mortality in the Central River Division and the Lower River Division.

Mr. Speaker,

92. A reformed Health System requires tertiary referral facilities in some Divisions, with experienced staff and specialized equipment. Tertiary services are currently provided by the five hospitals in the country

93. In the current financial year, the Participatory Health, Population and Nutrition Project registered a significant achievement in the diagnosis, testing and management of venereal diseases, gonorrhoea and syphilis, at Basic Health Services level in the North Bank and Lower River Divisions. The expansion of pre-natal Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) screening for women will prevent and control the spread of STIs. The project will continue to support the development of a comprehensive computerized Health Management Information System, while the construction of four new minor health centres and the refurbishment of 143 health centres will ensure delivery of quality health services, and the retention of skills in our health service system.

94. The Local Initiative Fund (LIF) has supported some 200 micro projects in the area of health, education and agriculture throughout the country in support of communities, carrying out activities in the areas of reproductive health, infant and child health and nutrition, by providing micro-grants. Training courses on quality of supervision as a good case study of project restructuring will commence in 2005.

95. During the current year, the Department of State for Health and Social welfare continues to strengthen collaborative links with the development partners involved in the delivery of Health Services in the Country. A Memorandum of Understanding is currently being formulated and will include greater participation of the Medical Research Council in the new Teaching Hospital.

ii. Education

Mr. Speaker,

96. During the current year, 2004, the New Education Policy (2004-2015), Education for All (EFA) Action Plan, the Finalisation of the Fast Track Initiative, and the Sexual Harassment Policy are all being implemented with satisfactory progress. The translation of the new education policy into an Education Master Plan to guide the preparation and also the update of the Public Expenditure Review is also on going.

97. In addressing the gender gap in access to education, and to improve quality of education, the Department of State for Education continues to coordinate, and effectively administer the Scholarship Trust Fund, which specifically targets the girl child, while the Dinah Said Fund covers the needy boys as well.

98. At Gambia College, the priorities remain pre-service teacher training, in-service teacher training, and Curriculum Research, Development and Evaluation. The Gambia Technical Training Institute, like Gambia College, is contributing immensely to middle level skill training, and other emerging areas, like Management and Law.

99. The University of the Gambia's programs continue to be developed and expanded. The University held its first Convocation Ceremony in early March this year, when 49 students graduated (25 BEd. students, 6 Medicine students, 3 Economics, 14 Humanities and the rest from the School of Agriculture). The Nuffield Foundation of UK has awarded a grant of GBP10, 000 to the Clinical Science Division, and a member of staff of the division has been awarded a grant of USD160, 000 to study Low Birth Weight Babies in The Gambia by the Global Forum for Health Research, Switzerland.

 

iii. Agriculture

Mr. Speaker, Sir,

100. The Agricultural sector performed reasonably well during the 2003/2004 cropping season, and made a major contribution to the strong GDP growth rate. The total planted area increased by 12% in 2003 to 284,792 hectares, mainly due to the expansion of area planted with swamp rice, upland rice, and late millet and sorghum cultivation. Aggregate production of all major crops increase by 47% to 307,504 metric tons in 2003, due to both the expansion of planted area and improved yield per hectare.

101. During the 2003/2004 cropping season, cereal cultivation registered substantial area, yield, and production increases of 19%, 31% and 56% respectively, with much of the growth recorded from the cultivation of paddy rice, late millet and sorghum. For groundnuts, total area planted, yield and production increased by 2%, 27% and 30% respectively.

102. Sesame is becoming an important cash crop. It was originally introduced in the country by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), mainly for the improvement of the health status of pregnant and lactating mothers, and children under 5 years. But, now, it is a diversification crop, grown mainly by women’s groups (commonly known as Sesame Growers’ Associations), although individual male and female farmers also grow the crop. During 2003/2004, aggregate sesame area planted, yield and production increased by 25%, 4% and 30% respectively. The full potential of sesame is still to be exploited.

103. Horticulture has emerged as an important growth sub-sector, making significant strides in the provision of fresh fruits and vegetables for both domestic consumers and the tourist industry. Nearly 85% of the domestic fruit and vegetable consumption requirements are provided by the horticultural sub-sector. About 60% of women farmers are actively engaged in horticultural activities. Commercial horticultural farms, which produce primarily for the export markets, employ about 4,000 workers. The Department of Agricultural Services (DAS) has facilitated the establishment of over 410 gardens to promote horticultural farming, while cassava and sweet potato multiplication has been intensified by the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI).

104. For the livestock sub-sector, major improvements were made in the supply of livestock products, such as meat, milk, eggs and others. To improve the genetic potential of the indigenous livestock, the Department of Livestock Services, and collaborating institutions, are jointly promoting breed improvement programmes. These include the distribution of cockerels, poultry broilers and layers to promote village-based poultry production. Two cattle breeding programmes are being pursued to enhance indigenous breed improvement, while a three-tier small ruminant breeding programme has been intensified with the superior breeds being distributed to small farmers countrywide. Introduced by the Department of Livestock Services, the ram-fattening scheme is successful among small ruminant producers. The Department of Livestock Services is also promoting increased dairy production, village-based milk pasteurisation with improved sanitation, packaging and marketing of milk, and milk products, particularly with women farmers. In the area of disease control, the Department of Livestock Services is providing regular surveillance and mass vaccinations against major diseases.

105. The National Agricultural Research Institute has made significant progress in the search for technologies, which can alleviate crop production constraints, including low and declining soil productivity, the high incidence of pest and diseases, insufficient supply of quality seeds, and the unavailability of high yielding varieties to our farmers. To address these challenges, the National Agricultural Research Institute embarked on research to restore soil fertility through agro-forestry techniques, researched suitable drought tolerant crop varieties, and also promoted the production of NERICA rice variety. The National Agricultural Research Institute also developed water lifting devices, and food processing equipment, such as pedal and chain pumps and a motorized cassava processor.

106. As the demand for farm mechanization by Gambian farmers increased due to acute labour shortages in rural areas, the Government set up the Agricultural Mechanization Unit under the purview of the Department of Agricultural Services (DAS) in 2003. As part of the Government’s Agricultural policy of “Operation Feed Yourself”, the Agricultural Mechanization Unit and the respective Divisional Agricultural Coordinators have been given the task of monitoring, coordinating and supervising the routine work of tractors in the District Extension Centres (DECs). At the national level, tractor ploughing covered a total area of 3,574 hectares in both upland and lowlands in 2003. This has greatly reduced drudgery, especially for women farmers, that dominate lowland activities. Collaboration with the Chinese Agricultural Mission was undertaken to improve both production and marketing of rice, and horticultural crops, which contributed to the increase in rice yields from the traditional yields of less than 1.5 metric tons to 6 – 7 metric tons per hectare.

107. Government continues to provide agricultural inputs (fertilizer, seeds and pesticides) for sale to farmers. In the current year 2004, 2,500 metric tons of fertilizer and 600 metric tons of decorticated groundnut seeds were purchased, and sold to farmers nationwide by the Government. In addition, the Food and Agricultural Organisation provided 200 metric tons of un-decorticated groundnut seeds to farmers.

 

iv. Employment

Mr. Speaker, Sir,

108. In respect of employment, the Government is trying to put in place appropriate institutional mechanisms for the implementation of the National Employment Policy and Action Plan, as part of the PRSP. This is to ensure that national goals and objectives on reducing unemployment, underemployment and, consequently poverty, are achieved. Also, the review exercise of the 1990 Labour Act has now been completed and the new legislation, when enacted, will make our labour laws more responsive to the needs of employees as well as employers, by ensuring that both have their rights protected and guaranteed.

v. Housing

Mr. Speaker, Sir,

109. With the current pressure on our limited land resources spurred by urbanisation and migration, the Department of Lands and Surveys has embarked on the amendment of the existing Land Administration Laws with stringent measures to discourage land grabbing, speculation, and to meet the rising demand for housing development. Subsequently, the re-entry process by Government has been revised to make it more workable, and faster. Land allocated for any class of use must be strictly utilised for that purpose, or otherwise Government will re-enter the plot, and re-allocate it to genuine developers.

110. The Department of Physical Planning and Housing has embarked on the preparation of residential layouts to meet the demand for housing. The Department of State for Local Government and Lands is looking into the possibility of introducing Land Banking, whereby Government, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, can identify and reserve sites for future use by Government or the communities for public purposes only.

111. The JAICA-funded Mapping Project of the entire country has been completed, and final products handed over to the Department of Lands and Surveys. In this regard, both the hardcopy and digital maps of 1:50,000 scale of the entire country are now available for sale to the general public.

-end.