Gambia Bolsters Emergency Care with African Development Bank Fleet

Ten fully equipped ambulances and a suite of diagnostic medical tools arrived in Banjul this week, marking a significant upgrade to The Gambia’s emergency response capabilities. Financed by the African Development Bank Group, the delivery aims to bridge critical gaps in medical infrastructure across the West African nation.

Editorial·July 18, 2026·reads: 643

Gambia Bolsters Emergency Care with African Development Bank Fleet

The handover ceremony, presided over by Vice-President Muhammed B.S. Jallow, highlights the $3.4 million share allocated to The Gambia from a broader $22.38 million regional initiative. The project, managed by the West African Health Organization (WAHO) under the Regional COVID-19 Response Project, equips regional health facilities with haemodialysis machines, X-ray systems, and oxygen concentrators.

Beyond hardware, the program addresses systemic capacity issues by training 1,400 health professionals in disease surveillance and biomedical equipment maintenance. Health Minister Ahmadou Lamin Samateh noted that the arrival of the ambulances represents the largest single donation of its kind from a lone institution to the country. Joseph Ribeiro, Deputy Director General for the African Development Bank Group in West Africa, emphasized that the investment secures essential care for mothers, children, and frontline workers while serving as a model for regional cooperation between the Gambian government, ECOWAS, and international partners.