RAID The Gambia has organized a 3-day training for its staff and volunteers held at the National Nutrition Agency, along Bertil Harding Highway.
The objective of the training was to enable RAID staff and volunteers contribute effectively in programmes and activities against tobacco consumption in The Gambia. Participants were drawn from URR, CRR, LRR, NBR, WCR, KM and Banjul.
In his opening remark, the Executive Director of RAID, Mr. Sambujang Conteh, affirmed that the training is to build the participants’ capacities on communication, monitoring and evaluation, tobacco control and tobacco legal instruments in The Gambia. This, he said is part of the institutional and human resources capacity strengthening of RAID-The Gambia, through grant from ACBF.
Mr Conteh reported that this is the second cohort, as the first batch of the staff and volunteers were trained sometime in 2019.
The Director of Health Promotion and Education, Modou Njai, said the Health Ministry has been working together with RAID for a long time to ensue a tobacco-free country and a healthy population. He made reference to the Tobacco Control Act, saying it prohibits the display of tobacco and should be out only on demand; that minors are not allowed to buy and sell cigarette.
“Civilise advertisement of tobacco on vehicles, motorcycles and umbrellas are all prohibited,” he noted, adding that public smoking is not allowed.
Njai therefore called on staff and volunteers to try to make a difference in their respective districts, as the country works towards zero rate of public smoking.
