A three day training forum on Advocacy ,Communication and Social Mobilization Strategy (ACSM) for Stakeholders in the control of tuberculosis opened on Monday  at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi.

The furum, organised by National Tuberculosis  Control Programmes at the Department of State for Health was funded by the Royal Netherlands Tuberculosis Foundation.

In his opening address, Saihou Omar Taal, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare, said that the forum was meant to inform and empower stakeholders in the area of ACSM in Tuberculosis control .

According to him, ACSM activities create greater commitment and support behavioural change in order to ensure access to treatment and care for all, particularly the poor, the vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.

DPS Taal underscored the importance government attaches to supporting the global plan to stop TB in 2050 as contained in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS).

"Thus the ACSM training workshop is therefore a manifestation of The Gambia Government's commitment to control tuberculosis in The Gambia. It is also important to note that TB diagnosis and treatment is offered free of charge in this country," he said.

Taal told the gathering that TB control does not only involve in diagnosing and treating patients, but also the efficient use of education and communication skills to ensure adherence to treatment and cure of smear positive TB patient is the ultimate aim of any TB control programme.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Adama Cham, manager of National Tuberculosis Control management.