In a bid to tackle the malaria pandemic in The Gambia, a new project for malaria prevention and treatment has been launched in the costal village of Madina Salaam.

The project was initiated by a Gambia based UK NGO called Wonder Years Centre of Excellence operating in the village. Speaking at the launching ceremony in Madina Salaam on July 20, 2009, the assistant governor of Western Region, Sainabu Faal, thanked the organisation for coming up with such an initiative. She said the government of The Gambia has three priority areas: health, education and agriculture. Intervention in any of these areas, she stated, means a lot for the government of The Gambia. Faal also thanked the donors whom she described as "true friends of humanity."

The national director of Wonder Years of Excellence, Ebrima K Sarr, said "malaria will not kill a child any more in this village." He added that his organisation has provided all the material needed to fight malaria in Madina Salaam and sounding villages. A representative from the Regional Health Management Team, Kumba Sabally-Ceesay, said "if every village has this kind of project, the task of medical personnel will be reduced." She appealed to the community to change their attitude.

The malaria project coordinator, Edrisa Touray, said the project is a three-year programme, and that they are "going to hold series of sensitizations within the community." The vice chairman, Brikama Area Council, Lamin H Bojang, urged the community to take malaria victims to health centers rather than traditional healers.