Health Legislation

This Proclamation is to protect the present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke by providing a legal framework for tobacco control measures, and reduce significantly tobacco use and its consequent harm.

The Act establishes and regulates a decentralised local government system for the Gambia; it makes provision for the functions, powers and duties of local authorities and for matters connected therewith.

These regulations provide for tobacco control measures including tobacco bans, health warnings, advertising restrictions etc.

This Act amends and consolidates the law relating to local government and provides for the matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.

The decree creates a technical-administrative division known as a health district for towns, departments, arrondissements and communes. The Health District is the local level for the design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health policy.

The order M°154/MSP/CAB of 29 December 1994 provides the structure and mandate for the Departmental Directorate for Health ("Direction Departementale de la Santé"); this directorate represents the Ministry of Public Health at the level of the department or the urban community and participates in the elaboration, implementation and evaluation of the National Health policy ( providing the competence of the Department Direction for Health). The subdivisions of this directorate include an Executive Secretariat; an Administrative, Financial and Personnel Management Department; a Family Health Service; a Programming and Health Information Department; a Health Education, Hygiene and Sanitation Department; a Health Education, Hygiene and Sanitation Department; a Pharmacy and Laboratory Department.