The Gambia National Youth Council, on Wednesday 17th June, 2009 commemorated the Day of the African Child 2009 at St Augustine's Senior Secondary School hall, in Banjul.

The Day of the African Child (DAC) is commemorated on every 16th day of June each year. This is meant to reflect on the death of many school children who were fighting for their rights in South Africa during the period of Apartheid Regime in 1976. Since then, this day has been recognised and commemorated by all the African countries which The Gambia is not an exception to. The theme for this year is "Africa fit for children, call for accelerated action towards child survival".

Speaking at the ceremony, Baboucarr Boye, permanent secretary Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE) has said education cannot be divorced from the Day of the African Child. He added that the day was initiated by young children, who were protesting for their basic human rights to being educated in their mothers' tongue, and were killed in cold blood in Soweto, South Africa in 1976.

According to Boye, the 18th anniversary of the commemoration of the Day of the African Child gives the opportunity to take a deeper look into the issues affecting Africa's children and young people. He further said the access to the basic right to education three decades ago was near impossible in most African countries. He noted that is now much more the full responsibility of young people like to make maximum use of educational opportunities available today, to enable grow to full potential. He said this is critical and fundamental we want to become active players in the global village.

Boye said discrimination on the basis of gender can deny girls and women access to, retention and completion of basic education, which could heighten their exposure to the risks of maternal and infant deaths. Eduction he added, is therefore pivotal to improving maternal and neonatal health, reducing the incidences of child marriage, eliminating extreme poverty and hunger, and enhancing knowledge of health risks and life skills.

In conclusion, Baboucarr Boye has said government were to, among others, commit themselves to the provision of quality, free and compulsory basic education; create partnerships with CSOs and the community in order to achieve the goal of free and universal education; eliminate gender disparities in education by taking special measures to increase girls' access to schools, improve their participation and retention rates; ensure the integration of peace education; democracy, human rights, humanitarian law, sexuality education, health education and environmental protection in education system to mention but a few of the commitments.

For his part, Saikou Janneh, deputy permanent secretary of Health and Social Welfare, deputising for the minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Mariatou Jallow, has said it will be recalled that on 8 September, 2000, a total of 189 countries including The Gambia, adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration, recognising that they "have a duty to all of the world's people, especially the most vulnerable and, in particular, the children of the world, to whom the future belongs". He added that one target is to reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under five mortality rate (MDG4).

He said the international treaties and conventions such as the convention on the right of the child (1990), the UN special session on children (2002) and the WHO/UNICEF Global Consultation on child and Adolescent Health and Development (2002) emphasises the inherent right to life and the urgency of reducing child mortality for future prosperity. According to Janneh, essential new born care - in charges immunisation of mothers against tetanus, ensuring clean delivery practices in a hygiene birthing environment, drying and wrapping the baby immediately after birth, providing necessary warmth, and promoting immediate and continued breast feeding, as well as the treatment of infections with antibiotics.

However, improved sanitation and access to clean drinking water can reduce childhood infections and diarrhea", he noted". Min-Whee Kang, UNICEF Country Representative, The Gambia, has said since 1990 to date, 10,000,000 maternal deaths, (more than 500,000 deaths annually has occurred. She added that pregnancy and childbirth complications increase the risk to the health and survival of women and newborns and children and remain a leading cause of death in developing countries.

According to Whee Kang, under 5 mortality in 2004 was pegged at 3.7 million, 40% takes places during the first 28 days of life (neonatal period) and three quarters of these deaths during the first 7 days of life. She noted that  that strengthens the evidence base for integrated community based approaching, that supports both provision of basic services including multi-selectoral program and address the continuum of care from mother to child including multi sectoral programs (nutrition, wash, health and HIV as well as education and child protection to reduce mortality and morbidity.

Other speakers: Fatou A Drammeh, Famara Fatty and Marchel Mendy all expressed the same sentiments.