The Gambia: Medicines and a vital alliance against malaria

In the Kombo North district of The Gambia’s West Coast Region, the rainy season has just ended, yet its impacts remain visible. Along the road leading to several villages, tall grass and pools of stagnant water create ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, the vectors of malaria.On an early afternoon in Sinthiou Sory, the Bah family gathers under the shade of a tree to escape the oppressive heat. Mariama Bah, her youngest son resting on her lap, watches as a community health worker prepares to administer the boy’s second dose of anti-malaria medication.“I had been informed of their visit, and I was determined to be here so my child could receive his dose,” she says.For Mariama, like for thousands of other mothers across The Gambia, this simple act is a vital shield in a country where children under five bear the heaviest burden of malaria.This scene is repeated in many households across Kombo North during the second cycle of the seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign. It is an essential intervention in a country where malaria remains endemic.The power of awareness-raisingLong before any dose is administered, Gambian Red Cross volunteers were mobilized in extensive awareness-raising efforts and community engagement.“Dozens of volunteers have been trained and deployed for this campaign. They move from house to house, sharing accurate information, dispelling misconceptions, and encouraging parents to ensure that no child is left behind,” explains Alieu Jammeh, Malaria Project Manager at the Gambian Red Cross. “Their work is reinforced by awareness caravans circulating through streets and public spaces.”For Alimathou Diadhiou, local supervisor of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), awareness-raising is essential “Without proper sensitization, we risk missing children because of simple misunderstandings or rumours,” she says. When reluctance is detected, it is reported to the supervisor, who then steps in alongside Red Cross volunteers to address concerns directly.A collaborative approach that is delivering results.“Thanks to this teamwork, reluctance is almost always resolved in the end,” says Alimathou Diadhiou. “In Sinthiou Sory, we have achieved more than 90 per cent of our coverage target.”An international partnership serving communitiesThe campaign is part of the Accelerating Malaria Elimination in The Gambia project, implemented by theIFRC and theGambia Red Cross Society,funded by China’s Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDSSCF). This initiative strengthens the Gambian government's efforts to achieve its goal of eliminating malaria.“Every dose administered is a concrete victory in the fight against malaria,” says Dr. Mame Diarra Faye, Health Programme Manager at the IFRC. “With the leadership of the Gambian government and the support of the Gambia Red Cross Society,the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), and other partners, we can and will make malaria elimination a reality.”

The Gambia: As malaria season begins, a life-saving infusion of medicine

By Moustapha DialloOn a hot and humid Thursday afternoon, the courtyard of The Gambia’s Central Medical Store swarms with people. Despite the oppressive heat, dozens of people gather under a large tent.From time to time, clouds appear before dissipating, while the small puddles left by a light rainfall the day before remind everyone of the onset of the rainy season, a period known to bring a surge in malaria cases.Against this backdrop, the Gambian Red Cross Society (GRCS) officially handed over a vital consignment of anti-malarial medications to the Ministry of Health in support of the upcoming Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign.This life-saving donation is part of the “Accelerating Malaria Elimination in The Gambia” project, funded by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).“This delivery comes at the right time,” said Lamine Dampha, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health during the handover ceremony. “The rainy season, commonly referred to as ‘malaria season’, has just begun. These medications will allow us to protect tens of thousands of people, especially children under five, who continue to bear the highest burden of malaria, across the country”.Speaking at the handover ceremony, Charles Businge, the IFRC’s regional director for Africa emphasized that these medications come at a crucial time when global funding for malaria is declining.In this context, Ibou Fye Njie, secretary general of the GRCS, says these medicines take on even greater significance.“Delivery of these medicines marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to achieve a malaria-free Gambia, while emphasizing that the project will finance the operational costs for the implementation of four SMC cycles during the 2025 malaria season in Kombo North District,” he said.Supporting a nationwide mosquito nets distribution campaignValued at over USD 108,000 (excluding transport costs estimated at USD 35,000), the medications handover follows a large-scale mosquito net distribution campaign, conducted in partnership with the Senegalese authorities as part of a coordinated cross-border malaria control effort.More than 1.5 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed free of charge to households across The Gambia.Supporting this nationwide effort, 280 Red Cross volunteers were mobilized across all regions to raise awareness about malaria prevention. They went door-to-door educating families about the proper use of mosquito nets, provided information on where to collect them, and assisted Ministry of Health staff with registering beneficiaries.“I’m very grateful to have received a mosquito net,” said a mother of three from the Central River Region. “This year, I know my children and I will be protected from malaria.”Malaria: a major public health threatMalaria is one of the top ten causes of death in The Gambia, with the entire population of the country at risk of the disease. It also remains a leading cause of childhood mortality and morbidity in The Gambia, where under-five mortality rate remains high at 56 per 1,000 live births.Despite significant progress in recent years, global malaria funding is insufficient to sustain essential services for a growing population and addressing biological and non-biological threats.Speaking on behalf of His Excellency Liu Jin, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to The Gambia, Mr. Zhan Tong, Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy, reaffirmed China’s commitment:“We are confident that, with the strong support of the Chinese government and the international community, we will see tangible progress very soon,” he said.The “Accelerating Malaria Elimination in The Gambia” project, launched in September 2024, will run through September 2026, with a total budget of USD 1,978,879.

As climate change in Africa forces more people from their homes, a new IFRC report says people can — and must — have more and better choices when it comes to their future

As floods, droughts, storms and heatwaves become more frequent and intense, the number of people in Africa uprooted from their homes by climate-related disasters has increased. These climate pressures do not exist in isolation, they often intersect with other risks such as conflict, economic instability, and food insecurity, compounding existing vulnerabilities and making it even harder for communities to recover and rebuild.In most cases, people have been left with little choice. As they watch the floodwaters rise, or the parched earth crack under their feet, they are left with few options: leave now and find safety elsewhere, or stay and risk losing your home, livelihood, health or, in the worst cases, your life.A new report from the IFRC, however, suggests there are many ways to work with people so they can avoid having to make such dire, life-altering decisions. And if such a choice is necessary, there are also ways to ensure that people and communities are prepared so they can move safely and with dignity, the report concludes.Entitled ‘Forced to Flee in a Changing Climate’, the report also stresses the urgent need for political leaders, policy makers, donors and international and regional organizationsto do moreto supportlocal actors that work directly with communities facing these challenges. (An executive summary of the report can be found here).“This report is a call to action, to invest in local solutions, empower communities, and ensure that no one is left behind when the next flood, drought, or storm hits."Charles Businge, IFRC regional director for AfricaIndeed, the need for action is urgent.In 2024, 7.8 million disaster displacements were recorded in Africa, according to theInternal Displacement Monitoring Center. That’s 1.8 million more than the six million disaster displacements recorded in 2023. (Note: These figures refer to displacements not people, because some people were forced to move more than once).“Over the past 60 years, Africa’s warming trend has exceeded the global average,” the report notes, citing measurements reported by theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “Recent years have seen heatwaves, heavy rains, floods, storms, cyclones and prolonged droughts.”Rising temperatures and more extreme rains, flooding, heatwaves and storms are expected to continue to drive even higher levels of displacement.A reason for hope: concrete actions in the communityHowever, the report also offers a wide range of practical tools and solutions, along with many reasons for hope. The report features 30 case studies from 15 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Africa that are already working across mutiple areas—identifying and reducing risks and promoting adaptation, preparing and acting early to reduce needs, providing assistance and protection, and promoting resilient recovery—to address and reduce the risks of climate displacement.“Locally led and collective action can help people to adapt, move to safer areas, and recover and rebuild with dignity,” the report concludes."Across Africa, too many people are being pushed to the edge by climate change, forced to flee their homes not because they want to, but because they have no other choice,” noted IFRC regional director for Africa Charles Businge. “This is not inevitable. With the right support, communities can prepare, adapt, and make informed decisions about their future.”“This report is a call to action, to invest in local solutions, empower communities, and ensure that no one is left behind when the next flood, drought, or storm hits."Five key ways to provide better optionsHere are five ways Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies empower communities and expand their choices in the face of climate change:Identifying risks through community-led risk assessmentsThe impacts of climate change and disasters affect people differently. To better understand their risks, including their risk of displacement, local actors are working with communities to map hazards andconductcommunity-led risk assessments. This allows them to plan and prepare ahead of potential disasters and better adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.The South African Red Cross, for example, has played a key role in collecting local data through emergency needs assessments in anticipation of potential flooding. This allows them to evaluate the priority needs of displaced communities and inform their response.Strengthening adaptation and promoting resilience to climate change impactsClimate change is impacting people’s access to existing services, threatening their livelihoods, and undermining health. Local actors help communities strengthen ecosystems and put in place nature-based solutions. Local actors can strengthen people’s access to social protection systems and help people protect their assets in ways that are climate-smart and climate-resilient. This can provide people with more options to diversify their livelihoods, find new ways to adapt, and stay in their homes, if they choose to.In Niger, for example, the Red Cross helps distribute drought-resilient seeds and it restocks cereal banks to reduce humanitarian needs when disasters arise. The Somali Red Crescent implements micro-economic initiatives to support local markets in the face of ongoing droughts and food insecurity. Read more about the impacts of drought in Somalia.Acting early and preparing ahead of disastersEarly warnings, early actions, and preparedness measures—such as mapping evacuation shelters and routes—help people who have to move do so more safely.In Mozambique, the Red Cross is working in places where displaced people live to strengthen early warnings ahead of disasters, including communities with people already displaced by earlier storms or crises.Communities like these are often the most heavily impacted by climate events but they lack sufficient systems for early warning and disaster preparedness. In Malawi, the Red Cross shares information about evacuation options in real time at the community level before the disaster strikes, so people move out of harm's way and make informed choices before disasters strike.Providing people who are displaced with assistance and protectionDisplacement cannot always be avoided. When it happens, local actors are often the first to respond, providing essential services to people in need – like food, water, shelter, and other relief items to address other basic needs. Local actors are also working to ensure their responses are protection sensitive. In these moments of chaos or crisis, the specific protection needs of in vulnerable groups such as women, children, older persons, and people with disabilities, are heightened.The Chad Red Cross addresses the humanitarian needs of flood-displaced communities, working to ensure volunteers and staff are trained to strengthen inclusive, safe, protection-sensitive approaches. In The Gambia, the Red Cross assists people displaced by floods in urban settings to better manage and store excess water.Supporting resilient recovery and longer-term assistance long after disasters endWhen people are forced to flee their homes, they may go back to their original homes, stay in the places they sought safety, move to new locations to rebuild, or remain longer term in displacement settings because they have no other options. In all these contexts, local actors are helping people recover and integrate where they can. They are working to ensure that in the future, people’s risk of displacement is lessened, for example by helping them rebuild their homes in a way that is more resilient. Where people remain in displacement camps or settlements, local actors are working to reduce their risks of future displacement, including them in risk reduction measures, for example.The Ethiopian Red Cross provides displaced households in camp settings, at risk of drought impacts with essential services, using mobile clinics for health services, and providing cash and voucher assistance, shelter support and livelihood opportunities.To learn more:Read or download the reportRead or download the executive summary of the reportMore articles and reports about climate displacement in Africa:IDMC, Global Report on Internal Displacement: AfricaInter-governmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report: AfricaEl Nino expected to make Malawi’s lean season even leanerWorld Hunger Day 2025: Drought driving hunger and desperation in the Horn of Africa

IFRC and China International Development Cooperation Agency sign landmark agreement

Beijing/Kuala Lumpur/Geneva, 16 July 2024 – In a significant step toward enhancing global humanitarian and development efforts, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during CIDCA’s Second High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development.The partnership seeks to foster joint efforts to implement the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the IFRC Strategy 2030, with a focus on shared priorities such as climate action, disaster management, and health. This will strengthen global humanitarian and development efforts, further supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.In February 2023, IFRC and CIDCA launched their first collaboration to promote health care and humanitarian aid in Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. Following the recent signing of the agreement, CIDCA and IFRC have announced a new project to combat malaria and provide high-quality health services in The Gambia. This two-year project, to be implemented by the Gambia Red Cross Society (GRCS) in collaboration with national and international partners, is expected to reach over 420,000 people.Xavier Castellanos, Under Secretary General of IFRC, commented, “This expanding cooperation will enable us to leverage China's rich experience in bilateral humanitarian and development assistance, meeting rising global needs. At a time when the humanitarian system is under immense strain, with needs far outstripping available resources, collective and truly global approaches, with local actors at the center, will be the key to maximizing our impact and bridging the divide between humanitarian and development efforts.”Luo Zhaohui, Chairman of CIDCA, emphasized at the event, “I am excited about the cooperation consensus reached at the signing ceremony and look forward to seeing it translated into action as soon as possible.”For more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] Beijing: Kexuan TONG, +86 13147812269  In Kuala Lumpur: Afrhill Rances, +60 192713641  In Geneva: Mrinalini Santhanam, +41 763815006

Deadly heatwave in the Sahel and West Africa would have been impossible without human-caused climate change

The recent deadly heatwave in the Sahel and West Africa with temperatures above 45°C would not have been possible without human-caused climate change, according to rapid analysis by an international team of leading climate scientists from theWorld Weather Attributiongroup.In late March and early this April, extreme heat impacted countries in the Sahel and West Africa. The hottest temperature occurred on April 3, when Mali recorded 48.5°C. In Bamako, the Gabriel-Toure Hospital announced a surge in excess deaths, with 102 deaths over the first four days of April.Around half were over the age of 60 and the hospital reports that heat likely played a role in many of the deaths. A lack of data in the countries affected makes it impossible to know how many people were killed, however it’s likely there were hundreds or possibly thousands of other heat-related deaths.“Year-round heat is part of life in the Sahel and regions of West Africa," said Kiswendsida Guigma, Climate Scientist at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre in Burkina Faso. "However, the extreme temperatures were unprecedented in many places and the surge in excess deaths reported by the Gabriel-Toure Hospital in Mali highlighted just how dangerous the heat was.“For some, a heatwave being 1.4 or 1.5°C hotter because of climate change might not sound like a big increase. But this additional heat would have been the difference between life and death for many people.”Climate change, caused by burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas, and other human activities, is making heatwaves more frequent, longer and hotter around the world. To quantify the effect of human-caused warming on the extreme temperatures in the Sahel and West Africa, scientists analysed weather data and climate models to compare how these types of events have changed between today’s climate, with approximately 1.2°C of global warming, and the cooler pre-industrial climate using peer-reviewed methods.The analysis looked at the five-day average of maximum daily temperatures in two areas: one that includes southern regions of Mali and Burkina Faso, where the heat was most extreme, and a larger area including regions of Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, where temperatures were widely above 40°C.To investigate hot night time temperatures, which can be dangerous when the human body cannot rest and recover, the researchers also analysed the five-day average of minimum temperatures for the Mali and Burkina Faso region.The scientists found that both the daytime and nighttime heatwaves, across both regions, would have been impossible if humans had not warmed the planet by burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas, and with other activities like deforestation. Climate change made the maximum temperatures 1.5°C hotter and the nighttime temperatures 2°C hotter for the Burkina Faso and Mali region, and the five-day daytime temperatures for the wider region 1.4°C hotter.A heatwave like the recent one is still relatively rare, even in today’s climate with 1.2°C of warming, the researchers found. Across the wider West Africa region, similarly high daytime temperatures can be expected about once every 30 years. However, daytime temperatures like those experienced in Mali and Burkina Faso, where heat-related fatalities were reported, are expected around once in every 200 years.More common, more dangerousBut events like these will become much more common, and even more dangerous, unless the world moves away from fossil fuels and countries rapidly reduce emissions to net zero. If global warming reaches 2°C, as is expected to occur in the 2040s or 2050s unless emissions are rapidly halted, similar events will occur 10 times more frequently.The researchers also quantified the possible influence of El Niño on the heat, but found that its effect was not significant when compared with the influence of human-caused climate change.The study highlights factors that worsened the impacts of the heat across the region. The heat occurred at the end of Ramadan when many Muslim people fast during the day. The Sahel region has a large Muslim population and while high temperatures are common in April, the researchers say the relentless day and nighttime heat would have been overwhelming for many people who were abstaining from food and water.They also note that conflict, poverty, limited access to safe drinking water, rapid urbanisation and strained health systems likely worsened the impacts.Heat action plans that set out emergency responses to dangerous heat are extremely effective at reducing heat-related deaths during heatwaves. However, neither Burkina Faso or Mali have one in place. Given the increasing risk of dangerous heat in the Sahel and West Africa, the researchers say developing heat action plans will help to save lives and lessen the burden of extreme heat on health systems.Finally, the researchers say the Gabriel-Toure Hospital’s rapid reporting of heat-related deaths was a valuable illustration of the dangers of extreme heat that would have likely acted as an effective warning for people in the region.The study was conducted by 19 researchers as part of the World Weather Attribution group, including scientists from universities, organisations and meteorological agencies in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Switzerland, Sweden, South Africa, The Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.For further information, media may contact:Andrew Thomas, IFRC Senior Media Officer, Media RelationsMob: +41 76 367 6587

Gambia Red Cross Society