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UNICEF urges Gambia to tackle scabies outbreak in shelters
thevoice June 10, 2025
By: Fatou Krubally
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for urgent government action on the scabies outbreak affecting children at the Daara Madina Suwaneh center, calling the situation a "violation of children's rights" requiring immediate attention.
According to the Ministry of Health, at least 57 children had been diagnosed with scabies as of May 27, a figure that UNICEF considers indicative of "serious health risks" in care facilities across the country. The outbreak is attributed to unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, in which children lack access to clean water, sanitation, and adequate medical care.
In a strongly worded statement, UNICEF warned that this outbreak is a symptom of deeper systemic failures in the Gambia's child protection framework. "No child should suffer due to neglect or lack of basic hygiene. This outbreak is a stark reminder that children's rights to health, protection, and dignity are not being respected," said Nafisa Binte Shafique, UNICEF Representative in the Gambia.
UNICEF called on the government to conduct rigorous inspections of all child care institutions, including Quranic schools (Majalis), and to enforce national minimum standards for hygiene and child protection. The agency also urged investment in family- and community-based alternatives to institutional care to prevent family separation and promote children's reintegration into society.
“Children must have access to clean water, adequate nutrition, and essential services, including healthcare and education. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that no child is left behind in unsafe or unregulated conditions,” added Ms. Shafique.
UNICEF also recommended the establishment of independent, child-friendly mechanisms to enable children to report abuse or neglect in a safe and confidential manner.
This call to action, UNICEF stressed, comes in the wake of other recent tragedies, including the Bilal boarding school fire in 2021, which claimed the lives of several children and highlighted the weakness of regulation in the country.
UNICEF reaffirmed its commitment to working with the government and other partners to develop sustainable, rights-based solutions to protect every child in The Gambia.
https://www.voicegambia.com/2025/06...-lepidemie-de-gale-dans-les-centres-daccueil/
UNICEF urges Gambia to tackle scabies outbreak in shelters
thevoice June 10, 2025
By: Fatou Krubally
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for urgent government action on the scabies outbreak affecting children at the Daara Madina Suwaneh center, calling the situation a "violation of children's rights" requiring immediate attention.
According to the Ministry of Health, at least 57 children had been diagnosed with scabies as of May 27, a figure that UNICEF considers indicative of "serious health risks" in care facilities across the country. The outbreak is attributed to unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, in which children lack access to clean water, sanitation, and adequate medical care.
In a strongly worded statement, UNICEF warned that this outbreak is a symptom of deeper systemic failures in the Gambia's child protection framework. "No child should suffer due to neglect or lack of basic hygiene. This outbreak is a stark reminder that children's rights to health, protection, and dignity are not being respected," said Nafisa Binte Shafique, UNICEF Representative in the Gambia.
UNICEF called on the government to conduct rigorous inspections of all child care institutions, including Quranic schools (Majalis), and to enforce national minimum standards for hygiene and child protection. The agency also urged investment in family- and community-based alternatives to institutional care to prevent family separation and promote children's reintegration into society.
“Children must have access to clean water, adequate nutrition, and essential services, including healthcare and education. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that no child is left behind in unsafe or unregulated conditions,” added Ms. Shafique.
UNICEF also recommended the establishment of independent, child-friendly mechanisms to enable children to report abuse or neglect in a safe and confidential manner.
This call to action, UNICEF stressed, comes in the wake of other recent tragedies, including the Bilal boarding school fire in 2021, which claimed the lives of several children and highlighted the weakness of regulation in the country.
UNICEF reaffirmed its commitment to working with the government and other partners to develop sustainable, rights-based solutions to protect every child in The Gambia.
https://www.voicegambia.com/2025/06...-lepidemie-de-gale-dans-les-centres-daccueil/