Africa-Press – Gambia. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for urgent government action in response to scabies outbreak affecting children at Daara Madina Suwaneh, describing the situation as “a violation of children’s rights” that demands immediate attention.
According to the Ministry of Health, at least 57 children have been diagnosed with scabies as of 27 May, a figure that UNICEF says highlights “serious health risks” in care institutions across the country. The outbreak has been blamed on unhygienic, overcrowded conditions where children lack access to clean water, sanitation, and adequate medical care.
In a strongly worded statement issued, UNICEF warned that the outbreak is symptomatic of deeper systemic failures in The Gambia’s child protection framework. “No child should have to suffer because of neglect or a lack of basic hygiene. This outbreak is a stark reminder that children’s rights to health, protection and dignity are not being upheld,” said Nafisa Binte Shafique, UNICEF Representative in The Gambia.
UNICEF called on the government to conduct thorough inspections of all child care institutions, including Qur’anic schools (Majalis), and to enforce national minimum standards for hygiene and child safeguarding. The agency urged investment in family- and community-based alternatives to institutional care, to prevent family separation and support children’s reintegration into society.
“Children must have access to clean water, proper nutrition, and essential services, including health care and education. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that no child is left behind in unsafe or unregulated conditions,” Shafique added.
UNICEF also recommended establishing independent, child-friendly complaint mechanisms to allow children to report abuse or neglect safely and confidentially.
This call to action, UNICEF said comes in the wake of other recent tragedies, including the 2021 Bilal boarding school fire, which claimed the lives of several children and exposed the country’s weak regulatory oversight.
UNICEF reaffirmed its commitment to working with the government and other partners to develop sustainable, rights-based solutions to protect every child in The Gambia.
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