Japan and UNICEF hand scabies supplies to Gambian health authorities
Medicines, nutrition and hygiene supplies target about 157,000 people in the West Coast, Central River and Upper River regions.
Japan, working with UNICEF and the Gambian government, handed over medical, nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to address a scabies outbreak. The ceremony took place on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the West Coast Regional Health Directorate in Brikama. The supplies target about 157,000 people across three regions.
Japan's Ambassador to The Gambia, Takeshi Akamatsu, said infectious diseases threaten children's health in overcrowded communities with limited access to safe water. He said tackling scabies requires early detection, treatment, better hygiene and community awareness, not only medicine. UNICEF Country Representative Nafisa Binte Shafique said the project also aims to strengthen community-based health systems.
Under the project, more than 400 healthcare workers and surveillance officers have been trained, and over 68,000 children under five have been screened for malnutrition. Safe handwashing and sanitation facilities are being provided for more than 55,000 people. Director of National Health Services Dr. Momodou T. Nyassi said the supplies were funded through Japan's 2025 Supplementary Budget.
Why it mattersChildren under five and residents of three regions gain malnutrition screening, trained frontline health workers and new handwashing and sanitation facilities.