President Barrow Inaugurates First National Food and Drug Quality Control Laboratory

追加: 2026-06-06

[00:00:00]President Adamaboro on Friday presided over the integration of the Gambia's first ever national food and drug quality control laboratory a state-of-the-art facility established to ensure that food medicines and other consumable products in the country made the highest standards of quality safety and efficacy. The laboratory is mandated to conduct rigorous testing of food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, water and other health related products to ensure that all imports and locally distributed items comply with national and international standards. In his inaugural address, President Bau described the facility as a landmark achievement aligned with the country's national development agenda and his government's vision of building a resilient, self-reliant and prosperous nation. He emphasized that the laboratory reflects the government's commitment to people centered development, noting that it will serve as a vital results for scientists, a legacy for future generations, and a symbol of trust in the government's ability to deliver on its promises.

[00:01:08]Countries that want to maintain a healthy population must ensure that their nationals eat the right mix of food and take safe and effective medications.

[00:01:25]Going by such standards, this lab facility is sufficiently furnished with modern equipment to detect harmful elements and bacteria in food stuff.

[00:01:39]In the same way, to safeguard public health, well-trained staff will be on hand to test and confirm that medicines used in the country are safely and effective.

[00:01:56]for ages before the acute kidney injury AKI disaster in 2022 until now we rely on test certificates from India and Ghana.

[00:02:13]Sometimes we waited for weeks for results of the sample tested abroad.

[00:02:21]Of course our citizens paid dearly for that arrangement.

[00:02:26]As delays often cost lives and substandard medicines generally have negative consequences.

[00:02:35]This laboratory now empowers us not only to test and verify food items and medicines but also act on our own terms in accordance with acceptable standards.

[00:02:49]Matar Toué, the World Bank president representative speaking on behalf of development partners highlighted the significance of the laboratory in light of past public health challenges. He recalled the tragic cases of acute kidney injury in children linked to contaminated cough and cold syrups, noting that the incident underscores the urgent need for robust quality control systems. According to him, the establishment of the laboratory is critical as it will help detect substandard and falsified products, enable timely regulatory interventions, strengthen market surveillance, and ultimately protect families from preventable harm.

[00:03:30]>> As we celebrate this in inauguration, we must also look ahead. Buildings and equipments alone do not guarantee success. The true value of this lab will be measured by the quality of its operations, the competence of its workforce, the integrity of its systems, the sustainability of its financing, and the consistency in which it delivers reliable results. Let us therefore commit to continued investment in staffing, accreditation pathways, maintenance, quality management, and inter agency collaboration so that the national food and drug quality control lab can achieve its full promise. Usman Bjang, governor of West Coast region, expressed pride and appreciation that the facility is located in the region.

[00:04:14]He commended President Brow and the Minister of Health for what he described as a significant national achievement.

[00:04:20]>> There are a lot of infrastructure developments. At times people tend to forget that to move a country is not just about roads. Yes, like they said, it's not roads and food. But what we are doing is the foundation you are laying to help us develop this country hereafter and forever.

[00:04:41]And your excellency I want to congratulate you very very well. I understand that recently a US think tank called the Atlantic Council rated Gambia as one of the most progressive countries on their prosperity index and that says a lot about your leadership and where we are as a country. As part of its long-term vision, the Ministry of Health aims to expand similar services to other regions, deploy mobile testing units, train a new generation of scientists, and position the laboratory as a regional reference center for quality control and public health safety.

[00:05:20]Reporting for Kadu, I am Marmani.