Gambia, 2 September 2008 -- Following his appointment as WHO Representative to the Republic of The Gambia barely six weeks ago, Dr Thomas Sukwa, today, presented his credentials to the Secretary of State (Minister) for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Omar Touray.

In a brief statement before presenting his credentials, Dr Sukwa, on behalf of the WHO Director General, Dr Margaret Chan and the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, thanked the Government and the people of The Gambia for their support and the excellent collaboration WHO enjoys working in The Gambia.

Dr Sukwa cited the Gambia Vision2020, the recently revised health policy and the new health master plan as some of the outcomes of this collaboration, which clearly demonstrate The Gambia Government’s commitment to strengthening the health sector.

He said that the WHO will continue to collaborate with the Government of the Gambia in pursuing the national health and development goals as articulated in these policy documents in line with its mandate and comparative advantage.

An important component of this comparative advantage lies in WHO being a specialized UN technical agency, and within this purview Dr Sukwa assured the Secretary of State that WHO will continue to support the health sector in strengthening the human resource capacity through training of medical doctors and other health care professionals, and to provide technical support to strengthening the health care institutions.

In conclusion, Dr Sukwa noted that these efforts might not be adequate to address the many challenges confronted by the health sector, most of which lie beyond its reach. Tackling poverty and providing adequate water supply and good sanitation, education and housing constitute some of these challenges which must be addressed side by side with the traditional role of the health sector as provider of curative and preventive health services.

To steer this process, he said that WHO would advocate for as well as forging strategic partnerships with sister UN agencies and the wider development community in tackling these issues along with other critical determinants of health.

Receiving the credentials on behalf of the Government, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Omar Touray, described the WHO as a close and long term partner, and a very important ‘institution’ operating in a vital area critical to national development. He commended the WHO for complementing Government’s efforts in strengthening human resource capacity, particularly in the training of medical doctors and other health care professionals. He said that the government of the Gambia from its very inception, under the able leadership of the President, Dr Alhajji Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, recognized health as a development priority, ensuring its affordability and accessibility by every Gambian. ‘Government recognizes human resource capacity development as a catalyst for national development, an ambition that engineered the establishment of the University of The Gambia’ Dr Touray noted.

In conclusion, Dr Touray welcomed the WHO Representative to The Gambia with an open heart, assuring him of his offices’ continued support to WHO and the entire UN System. He said that in order to effectively address the obstacles and challenges that lie ahead in pursuit of the health development goals, there would be a need for continued partnership, dialogue and collaboration both within the UN System and with Government.

In the same vein, Mr Sulayman Samba, Permanent Secretary at the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare, who represented the Secretary of State for Health, thanked WHO for the technical support it has been rendering and continues to render to the health sector, notably the recent support in revising the national health policy and developing the new health master plan.

The presentation ceremony was attended by officials from the WHO Country Office and the Department of the State for Foreign Affairs.