NEWS
"Malaria is not Given the Necessary Attention it Deserves in The Gambia"
-Declares Mariama Darboe Janneh Daughter of UDP Leader
BY PA NDERRY M'BAI & BUBACARR CEESAY



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October 11, 2005
 Mariama Darboe Janneh is a Gambian born HIV/Aids researcher at The
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, here in the United
States. Mrs. Janneh 29, is also the daughter of Gambia's opposition
leader lawyer Ousainou Darboe. She came to the US in 1989, when she was
pretty young. Beside being a holder of Masters degree (MPH) in Public
Health, Mariama Darboe Janneh is also actively engaged in HIV/Aids
research work in a bid to help humanity. While her father chose to be a
politician, she decided to try the Medical world, which landed her a job
at one of the US'S most reputable and leading University Hospitals in
Texas. Madam Janneh is happily married to Lamin Janneh, a native of Kaur
Janneh Kunda. She is blessed with a baby girl. In this inclusive
interview with ALLGAMBIAN'S Chief Editors, Pa Nderry M'Bai and Baboucarr
Ceesay, Mrs. Janneh insists that more attention is not given to malaria
in The Gambia, which is killing thousands of women and children.

She says more attention is given to HIV/Aids when malaria is taking its
toll on the population. The HIV/Aids researcher admits that Aids is indeed
a major health problem confronting the continent, but was quick to point
out that The Gambia is not badly affected compared to South Africa, which
is ravaged by Aids. Mrs. Janneh also commented on wife inheritance, female
circumcision, TB and a lot of other topical issues. Below is the full text
of the interview we had with Mrs. Janneh. Please read on....

AG: HIV/Aids is a major topical issue in The Gambia today, as it is said
to be threatening the fabric of society in that country. While the country
is struggling to tackle the deadly disease, malaria is also taking its
toll on women and children. The Jammeh government is even criticised in
some quarters for not doing much to tackle malaria. In your own honest
view, do you subscribe to such criticism levelled against The Gambian
government?

YJ: I'm not sure about what the current government is doing on malaria
because I'm not in The Gambia. But from what i read in the papers, it
doesn't sound like a lot of attention is being paid on Malaria prevention
in The Gambia. I know MRC does a lot of research on malaria, but how does
that research benefit the Gambia is not obvious to me. I see a lot of
stories on HIV/Aids on major Gambian newspapers, which is very
commendable. But I think, our time and resources, should be directed to
public health issues that are affecting Gambians more than HIV/ Aids. That
we should pay more attention on malaria and its negative health impact on
Gambia.

AG: But on the other hand, others will argue that there is no cure for
Aids and therefore should be given priority. What's your stake on this?

YJ: I agree that we should give priority to HIV/Aids, but however, in The
Gambia, HIV/Aids has not taken a toll on people's live as much as malaria
or all the other public health issues such as infant, maternal mortality,
and diarrhea diseases. You have to realise that when some one have
HIV/Aids he or she is more prone to get some of these diseases i
mentioned. Malaria and diarrhea diseases are endemic in The Gambia and i
feel we should deal with these issues first and then we can move on to
deal with the HIV infection.

AG: But recent findings released by HIV/Aids researchers in The Gambia say
the country is in crisis situation when it comes to HIV. They even warn
that if concerted efforts are not made, the future of the country could be
bleak, as the deadly disease will likely claim more lives in years to
come. Now are you implying that Aids is not an urgent medical issue in The
Gambia?

YJ: It's not as urgent again and i believe that malaria and the other
public health issues are killing more people than HIV/Aids. Gambia is
probably on the van wagon, because HIV/Aids is a very political disease
internationally and it seems as if The Gambia want to be on the van wagon.
But that is not our issue. It is not like South Africa. How do they know
that the rate of HIV/Aids is on the rise in The Gambia, if there is no
routine testing available to the general population. So if these
researchers are saying that HIV is on the rise in The Gambia, I would like
to know how they have arrived to this conclusion. I would again state that
I'm not doubting that HIV is a major public issue, but in The Gambia i
don't think HIV is the major health problem.

AG: Just to inform you that there was indeed an HIV/Aids sentinel survey
mounted by the Medical Research Council in collaboration with the Ministry
of health some few years ago. In the said survey pregnant women were
tested for HIV without their consent. What is your reaction.

YJ: If it is for research purposes and it is not going to be linked to the
individual, I think that it is okay. However, i think since i work on
HIV/Aids research now there are certain protocols that have been set by
the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and that deals with research with
human subjects. And these guide lines have to deal with human research. We
can use similar guide lines in The Gambia if not already in place, will
eliminate the question as to whether it is right to test these people
without their consent.

AG: No, my question is intended to draw your attention to the MRC
research, which says HIV is on the rise in The Gambia and urgent attention
needs to be given to the global pandemic.

YJ: If it is based on sentinel survey the assumption is that pregnant
women are at no risk for HIV, because they are usually married. If the HIV
rate is high in that population, then they guess that this is what the
rest of the population look like.

AG: You are implying that such reports are not credible?

YJ: Not that they are not credible, but that is the best we have in The
Gambian situation, because no one will go and test for HIV. Therefore we
cannot get the actual number of Aids patients. People don't voluntarily
test, like it is in America or the West. So you have to depend on
statistical modeling to get population estimates.

AG: Tuberculosis or TB is another health problem confronting The Gambia.
Any comments on this subject?

YJ: We have been talking about HIV/Aids, time and time. It is important to
note that a lot of people who died of TB usually have HIV/Aids. TB needs
to be tackled as well.

AG: Currently there is cholera outbreak in Gambia. What causes cholera?

YJ: Cholera is caused basically by not handling food properly. You can be
infected through contaminated food or water. It spread rapidly. In
countries like The Gambia, where the sewage system is not treated
adequately it could contribute to the spread.

AG: Is it transmittable from one person to the other?

YJ: If you come into contact with fecal matter of an infected person, you
can usually get it. However, it is not likely that you can get it from
personal contact. If you go to the bath room and you used your hand to
clean your self and you don't wash your hand properly and you are infected
with cholera and you prepare food or drink you can pass it on.

AG: What drug can one use to treat cholera?

YJ: Cipro is one of the medications that's used to cure cholera. You can
also mix salt, sugar and water to help you to re-hydrate if you get
cholera.

AG: Could you tell us something about the issue of wife inheritance and
its dangers to HIV/Aids?

YJ: Well from a public health stand point, it is not a healthy practice.
Usually when some one died in Gambia, the cause of death is often unknown,
or there is a misdiagnosis. So if someone died from HIV/Aids, we might not
know that he died of HIV due to many reasons, such as stigma and
discrimination, or just not knowing that they have HIV. Such practices
might contribute to the spread of HIV.

AG: What needs to be done to tackle such risky cultural practices in The
Gambia?

YJ: I don't think that there is an easy solution to this problem, because
we have to respect our culture. Even if we disagree with them, I think the
best way is through education. In short, I mean sensitising people about
the health risks associated with wife inheritance.

AG: Female circumcision or female genital mutilation as it is widely
called is a major problem in The Gambia. Almost all tribes are engaged in
such practices and often the girl child is exposed to such practices. What
is your view on this?

YJ: Just like the wife inheritance subject, I'm against the practice. It
is practiced in my family and tribe. I think one needs to understand why
these practices are done instead of being judgemental about it, because
most people doing it really love their children. That they don't want
their children to be harassed in the communities they are living. They
also argued that those who are not circumcised are ignorant people as they
call them "solema". Other children might not want to play with
uncircumcised kids.

AG: That sounds interesting. It appears that you are against the practice,
at the same time being sympathetic to those engaged in it?

YJ: Not actually sympathetic, but i have respect for the reason behind it,
because it give a sense of belonging to the community and it is a time for
celebration from the transition of being a girl to a women. Instead of
being judgemental and calling them all types of names, I think we should
understand why they do it and help them understand the health implications
of such a practice.

AG: Will you allow your husband or any member of your family to circumcise
your kid(s)?

YJ: No.

AG: On final note, what type of health future do you foresee for The
Gambia, your home land?

YJ: We need to intensify efforts to fight malaria, before it will continue
to take more lives. We also need to raise our life expectancy rate for
both male and female. Most importantly, we should also strive to have a
healthy population, which will lead to a more productive society.

AG: You are a daughter to lawyer Ousainou Darboe. Do you think your father
is a good future President for The Gambia?

YJ: Yes, yes. He takes good care of us his family and I'm sure The Gambia
would be lucky to have such a selfless and loving person to be the head of
the country. I'm sure he will treat all Gambians equally like he does to
his family. I supported him since 1996 and i will continue to support him.

AG: How do you feel about Jammeh's threat to kill your father?

YJ: Of course, I'm concerned about the said threats against my father. I
know my father is in politics for right reasons. These threats are not
going to discourage me, because I know he is fighting for the right thing.

AG: Do you support NADD?

YJ: I will support anything that will get Yahya Jammeh out of state house
and i support NADD.

AG: Why do you support NADD?

YJ: Because there is growing demand for change and i respect all of them
for putting up the fight all these years as members of different
opposition parties.

AG: Do you think that NADD will succeed in unseating Yahya Jammeh come
2006 elections?

YJ: I think whoever is selected by NADD as their presidential candidate
will succeed in getting Jammeh out of power.

AG: And what advise will you give to NADD, because leadership issues often
undermines opposition coalitions in Africa?

YJ: To keep the eyes on the price, that is my advise to them.

AG: Thanks Madam Janneh for sparing your busy schedules to talk to us.

MYJ: No problem, its my pleasure.



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