New WHO rep presents credentials

Barely six weeks after his appointment as WHO representative to The Gambia, Dr Thomas Sukwa, on Tuesday, presented his credentials to the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs, Dr Omar Touray.

Speaking on behalf of the WHO, Dr Sukwa thanked the government and people of The Gambia for their support and collaboration with the agency. He cited The Gambia’s Vision 2020, the recently revised National Health Policy and the new Health Master Plan as some of the outcomes of this collaboration, and which he said demonstrate The Gambia government’s commitment to the strengthening of the health sector.

He gave assurances that the WHO will continue to collaborate with the government in pursuing national health and development goals as articulated in these documents.
SoS Touray, who received the credentials on behalf of the government, described the WHO as a close and long-term partner, operating in an area critical to national development.

He said that the government of The Gambia, under the able leadership of President Dr Alhaji Yahya Jammeh, recognises health as a priority, saying that this is why it does everything to ensure its affordability and accessibility to every Gambian.
"Government recognises 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.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr Sulayman Samba, the permanent secretary, Department of State for Health and Social Welfare, representing the SoS for Health, thanked the WHO for its technical support to the health sector, notably the recent support in the revision of the National Health Policy and the new Health Master Plan.
The presentation ceremony was also attended by officials from the WHO Country Office and the Department of State for Foreign Affairs.