By Fatoumatta K Jallow reporting from URR
Mr. Kunle Adeniyi UNFPA head of office on Monday 15 May 2017 in an interview with journalists emphasised
that UNFPA is committed to the drive to ensure that every woman in The Gambia will not die while giving birth and has the option of the number of children she wants.
He indicated that the number of children our women have has motived them to come up with this kind of initiative to prevent maternal deaths.
He noted that people in the traditional community in URR a lot of times feel neglected because they have been very far from the centre or where things happen.
He said they have come with mobility intervention on Family Planning, cervical cancer screening for the mothers and women and also providing HIV counselling and testing so that the people can know their health status and women can make healthy choices.
He informed that a similar campaign happened last year in Farafenni and now it is in URR and LRR. He stated that the idea is to boost the work of health workers around these communities so that the people will be linked to these places to access the facilities.
He said there is a reasonable turnout considering the community they are in. He was impressed with the large number of women coming for the cervical cancer screening.
“We want to see a Gambia where every child can go to school, where everybody can look after their children and then the cycle of poverty is broken.”
He added: “I want the women to know that this is good, important and will only help them. Women need to come out and check the quality of their health.”
In conclusion he said he wants the women of The Gambia to know that they are there to help them make their own choices out.
