The Health for Peace Initiative in Gambia, West Africa
In West African countries, where peace is returning after
years of brutality and civil war, The very survival of hundreds
of thousands victims of war in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra
Leone depends on international assistance.
The situation in the region is still very fragile. Basic
education is the most effective investment to improve economies
and create literate, self-reliant and healthy societies.
The Health for Peace Initiative (HPI), was formed in 1999
as a sub regional grouping comprising initially The Gambia,
Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry and Senegal and later Liberia
with the purpose of using health to promote peace and security,
taking into consideration the traditional ties that unite
their countries. The Goal of this initiative is to enhance
peace in the sub region through regional promotion of health
and the prevention of epidemics.
Each country is responsible for a specific health area within
the sub-region. The Gambia, which cut blindness by 50 per
cent in just 10 years from 1986 to 1996, chose to take the
lead on eye health.
In the area of peace keeping, The Gambia's record is exemplary
and internationally recognised and appreciated. In Africa,
Gambian troops have been sent to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea
and Ethiopia/Eritrea. In far away East Timor and Kosovo Gambian
troops form part of the UN as peace-keeping forces
Never has Africa been more in need of humanitarian assistance.
But never, perhaps, has it been better placed to benefit from
it. The right kind of aid now, carefully directed to those
best able to use it, could pay off a thousand-fold
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