By Mustapha Jarju
The Association of Public and Environmental Health Officers of the Gambia (APEHOG) yesterday, 19th June 2023 began a weeklong campaign for public awareness week on public and environmental health issues.
This year’s theme for the campaign is Recovering from Covid-19 Pandemic, Lessons Learn and Role of a Dedicated Public Health Work Force to Prepare for and Mitigate Future Pandemic.
In this year’s campaign, APEHOG is working in partnership with the government and other stakeholders to protect the health of the populace by embarking on activities that will raise awareness on matters of public health by offering technical assistance to provide intervention of public health officers to partake in public health interventions in the country.
In his remark, Nuha Fofana, the president of APEHOG organization said the public awareness week is a weeklong activity geared toward showcasing the many public health interventions taken by public health professionals both in and outside the country.
“Our members within the country will also converge at their respective regions and embark on a series of community engagements activities in other to strengthen and magnify their routine activities,” he said.
He added that his organization is making efforts in contributing to advancing public health in the Gambia and raising awareness about the importance of public health interventions.
However, President Fofana added that in keeping up the country safe from environmental and public health challenges, the organization organizes a weeklong campaign referred to as public health awareness week. Noting that over the past 2 years, they are unable to embark on this kind of activity due to emerging of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Muhammed Keita, Assistance Social Secretary of APEHOG reiterated that the weeklong public and environmental health campaign which begin yesterday with a media briefing will be followed by a series of community engagements across the country, this will include career counseling and guidance at selected schools like Mayork Senior in West Coast Region, Kerewan Senior in North Bank among others. Also, the Public Health Week Campaign activities Public Health Fair taking place in West Field Monumment on the 22nd of June while on the 23rd of June is for a seminar and congress at the Brikama, sporting activities among others.