For the 2025 distribution campaign of impregnated mosquito nets, the training activities of actors and census of beneficiary households will take place during the spiritual retirement of Médina Gounass, called Daaka. A coincidence of calendar which raises fears of a campaign failure for the department of Vélingara.Abdoulaye kamara – A
Senegal and Gambia have agreed to organize, at the same time, a campaign to distribute mosquito nets permeated with long -term action (MILDA) for this year 2025. The 2 countries agreed to organize jointly the training activities of the actors, from April 25 to 30, 2025, and then the census of households to be filled in mosquito nets, from May 2 to 6. However, these dates coincide with the progress of spiritual activities of prayers and devotion lasting 10 days in the religious city of Médina Gounass. Precisely from April 26 to May 5, 2025, this religious city of the Tidiane brotherhood of the department of Vélingara will hold its annual daaka. A coincidence of calendar that does not reassure the chief doctor of the Vélingara health district. Oumar Sané expressed his fears during a Departmental Development Committee (CDD) held on Wednesday at the meeting room of the Vélingara prefecture. Before the administrative and local authorities of the department, Dr Oumar Sané said: “We consider that Daaka is a regional religious event, and even sub-regional, which attracts many people coming to pilgrimage. Unfortunately, in national planning, this event was not taken into account. We have alerted the higher authorities, telling them that in the department of Vélingara, a good household census cannot be done during the Daaka. Because the populations stay there for Daaka and then the health staff, who is supposed to coordinate this census, is mobilized for the Daaka and finally, the department will receive many people from other localities. Realities that can distort the reliability of the census. We asked that this activity be offset for our district. ” It is true that in this locality, whole villages are emptied to find themselves either in Daaka (university site for adults and young men) or in the religious city (especially women). They go there to strengthen their faith or for economic needs (domestic work or construction of habitats for young people).
Dr. Sané informed the CDD that Senegal has set itself the goal of eradicating malaria by 2030, and that one of the most effective strategies is the use of mosquito nets permeated by the whole family, every night. This is why this campaign wants to reach 100% of households and encourage 80%, at least, the population to sleep under a mosquito net. Because one thing is to have a mosquito net and another is to accept to use it to protect yourself from Anopheles. The challenge is all the more for the Vengelara health district that is in the red area of prevalence of malaria. A district that still records “a significant death rate, even if it is declining, more and more”, according to the chief doctor of the district, Dr Sané. This is why the CDD proposed to use community radios to raise awareness among the greatest number of populations and to use the village chiefs, religious leaders and defense and security forces for its success. The distribution of said mosquito nets will be from May 23 to 27, in synchronization with Gambia.
It should be remembered that this campaign has as a financial partners the Global Fund, International Plan and the Islamic Development Bank (BID).
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