The Gambia Validates National Dementia Plan, Puts Families at Centre of Care By Isatou Jawara
The Gambia has taken a major step towards strengthening dementia care with the validation of its National Dementia Plan, aimed at improving early identification, treatment, care planning and support for people living with dementia and their families.
The validation meeting brought together health officials and other stakeholders to review the proposed national roadmap and strengthen efforts to make dementia services more accessible across the country.
Speaking at the meeting, Mam Jarra Marega, Programme Manager of the National Mental Health Programme and National Technical Lead for the Development of The Gambia Dementia Plan, said dementia is often first noticed within families, where relatives may struggle to understand changes in memory and behaviour.
She stressed that families should not have to face such challenges alone.
“Dementia does not wait for our health systems to be ready for it. It is already inside many of our own families,” Marega said.
For years, dementia has received limited attention within The Gambia’s health system. Marega noted that the country previously lacked a national dementia guideline, dedicated case register, appropriate screening tools and structured support for caregivers.
The new plan seeks to address these gaps through four key priorities: integrating dementia into the national mental health response, strengthening investment, building the capacity of healthcare workers and expanding community-based services.
Marega said the country has also developed a Mental Health Investment Case, demonstrating that mental health is not only a health concern but also an economic issue.
According to the 2024 investment case, mental health conditions and suicide cost The Gambia about D768 million annually, with 89 per cent of the burden attributed to lost productivity rather than direct healthcare expenditure.
The mental health programme has also begun training traditional healers, with 30 already trained in psychosocial support and safe referral, as part of efforts to strengthen community-level responses to mental health and dementia.
Marega said the initiative recognises the reality that traditional and faith healers are often among the first people consulted by families when relatives begin experiencing memory loss or changes in behaviour.
The plan also places strong emphasis on community mental health services, with efforts underway to revitalise community outreach and establish stronger pathways for delivering care in rural and remote parts of the country.
Also speaking at the validation meeting, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Mr Lamin Dampha, underscored the importance of translating the plan into practical action.
He called for sustained collaboration among government institutions, healthcare workers, communities and development partners to ensure that people living with dementia and their caregivers receive appropriate support.
The Gambia’s renewed focus on dementia follows the country’s National Statement on Dementia at the 78th World Health Assembly. The World Health Organisation subsequently selected The Gambia as one of three countries globally to receive intensified dementia support in 2026 and the only country selected from Africa.
Marega said the country now has important foundations for its dementia response, including a national policy framework, an investment case, a costed plan and trained frontline workers.
She, however, cautioned that the major challenge now is translating these foundations into tangible results for families.
“Our greatest challenge now is implementation,” she said.
With the validation of the National Dementia Plan, The Gambia is seeking to move dementia from an often-overlooked condition to a recognised national health priority, bringing care closer to communities and ensuring that families affected by dementia do not have to face the condition alone.
