Comprehensive Overview of the Gambia's Health Landscape

Abstract

The Gambia faces a challenge in healthcare accessibility, with a relatively sparse distribution of healthcare facilities. However, there is a positive trend with the construction of new health clinics across the country. The public health service delivery system in the Gambia is structured into three tiers, in line with the primary healthcare strategy. As of 2018, healthcare services are provided through a network of facilities. This includes five general hospitals, one NGO-operated hospital, a teaching hospital, and a specialized ophthalmic hospital, as reported by the Health Management Information System (HMIS) (HMIS, 2018). In addition to these major facilities, there are five significant health centers, forty-five minor health facilities, three clinics dedicated to reproductive and child health, fourteen privately-operated clinics, eighteen clinics run by non-governmental organizations, ten clinics serving security services, and sixty-eight community clinics at the secondary level. At the primary level, there are a substantial number of eight hundred and ninety-two health posts (HMIS, 2018). This comprehensive network of healthcare facilities demonstrates efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve accessibility to essential services in the Gambia. The inclusion of various levels of care, from specialized hospitals to community clinics, signifies a multi-faceted approach to addressing the diverse healthcare needs of the population.