Gambia, 9 September 2008 -- The WHO Representative, Dr Thomas Sukwa, today paid a courtesy call on Her Excellency, the Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, H.E Dr. Madam Isatou Njie Saidy at State House. Dr Sukwa was accompanied to the Vice President’s Office by the Honorable Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Malick Njie and some staff members of the WHO Country Office

In a brief introduction, Dr Malick Njie, who also chaired the brief ceremony, described the visit as routine protocol, allowing Dr Sukwa to meet with the leadership of the country following presentation of his credentials to the Department of State for Foreign Affairs a week ago.

For his part, Dr Sukwa said that he was grateful to be in the Gambia to pursue the agenda of the health sector in collaboration with the Department for State for Health and Social Welfare. He also thanked the Government and people of the Gambia for the fruitful collaboration WHO enjoys working in the country.

He pledged to strengthen and continue the collaboration WHO has already established with the Government and other partners in addressing priority health issues including maternal and child morbidity and mortality, malaria control, environment and health issues , to name but a few.

In particular, Dr Sukwa promised to work more closely with sister UN Agencies in tackling these and other priority health problems. ‘Together, we can move the health sector to higher heights’, Dr Sukwa noted.

The Secretaries of State (Ministers) for Foreign Affairs and the Interior, who also witnessed the ceremony, expressed their fullest support to Dr Sukwa and his team in pursuing the national health goals during his tenure of office.

The Foreign Affairs Secretary of State said he felt encouraged by Dr Sukwa’s readiness to work closely with the health sector in this direction as pronounced during presentation of his credentials last week.

In championing this partnership, the Interior Secretary of State informed Dr. Sukwa that his Department of State and the entire security outfit in the country work very closely with the health sector in many fronts particularly during emergencies.

In officially welcoming Dr Sukwa to The Gambia, the Vice President H.E Dr. Madam Isatou Njie-Saidy assured him of her office’s support as done in the past during his tenure of office. She said that the Government of the Gambia gives a lot of importance to health as articulated in the Vision2020, Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and other sectoral policies. She singled out the ongoing infrastructural development and capacity building, among others, as a clear demonstration of the President’s commitment to the health sector.

In support of what colleagues have already said, the Vice President noted that all sectors have a stake in health, justifying the need to work as one family with one focus.

She however appealed to WHO to support the traditional health care system side by side the conventional health system as many Gambians use and benefit from the services it renders.

Dr Sukwa’s visit coincided with members of the National Security Council calling on the Vice President, which gave him an opportunity to be formally introduced to a wider audience with all having a stake in health.